Away day at Atlético Madrid for Malaga CF's long-awaited La Liga return

The match at the Metropolitano, scheduled for either 15 or 16 August, could still be postponed if Diego Simeone's side have several players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup

Pedro Luis Alonso

The La Liga fixtures have been announced, and Malaga CF's return to the top flight of Spanish football is set to begin with an away match against Atlético Madrid - though the fixture is at risk of postponement.

The match at the Metropolitano is scheduled for the weekend of 15 and 16 August, but La Liga will allow clubs with a significant number of players involved in the latter stages of the FIFA World Cup to delay their opening fixtures.

At present, Atlético still have several players competing, making the game one of those most likely to be rearranged. If the postponement is confirmed, Malaga's first league match could instead be a home fixture against Deportivo on 22 or 23 August.

The fixture list also handed Malaga a demanding start, with another trip to the capital to take on Real Madrid in the opening weeks.

Other highlights include hosting FC Barcelona on 13 December and Real Madrid on 17 January, with their final home match of the season against Sevilla on 30 May.

Speaking at the fixture launch in Madrid, Malaga coach Juanfran Funes said: "People really enjoyed it. This promotion was very special and had a real Malaga flavour, which made it even more special."

Asked about the opening fixture before the draw, he added: "We just want to win the match. The standard in La Liga is incredibly high, but we're going to enjoy it because every game will be special."