Zinedine Zidane, the head coach of Real Madrid, is confident that Cristiano Ronaldo will be ready to face Liverpool in the Champions League final on 26 May.
Ronaldo scored against Barcelona on Sunday but came off at half-time after injuring his ankle in the 2-2 draw at Camp Nou. The Portugal striker will miss tomorrow’s La Liga clash against Sevilla. He could also be ruled out of the games against Celta Vigo on 12 May and Villarreal a week later.
Real will also be waiting on the fitness of Dani Carvajal and Isco, but Zidane says all three players will be ready to play against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side in the Kiev final.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Zidane told Marca: “What’s incredible is that he [Ronaldo] is walking after 48 hours and it shows his ambition, but I don’t know if he’ll be available for Villarreal [on 19 April]. Everyone [including Dani Carvajal and Isco] will be available for the final... 150%.”
Much of the pre-final focus has been on Ronaldo and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has scored 43 goals this season and is a rival for Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or crown.
Zidane was not keen to play up the battle of the two star strikers. He added: “I don’t know if [Mohamed] Salah will be in contention for the Ballon d’Or, but he’s had a great season. The game won’t be Cristiano against Salah, it will be Real Madrid against Liverpool.
“It will be a spectacular game, open and with chances for both teams. What matters most for us is planning, showing up and making things difficult for them. It’s a final and it will be very intense.
“We know what they have – a bit of everything, physical, technical, speed… they’re English and they defend and they fight.”
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and preview
feature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
-
Where will Cristiano Ronaldo go next?
feature Portugal captain has been linked with a mega-money move to Saudi Arabia
-
Reactions to Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘explosive’ interview with Piers Morgan
feature Portugal captain feels ‘betrayed’ by Man Utd and believes he’s being forced out of the club
-
What next for Cristiano Ronaldo? How the relationship with Man Utd turned sour
Under the Radar Portugal star has ‘almost certainly’ played his last game for United as he is dropped for Chelsea clash
-
Has Liverpool been weakened by Jürgen Klopp’s ‘seven-year itch’?
feature After seven years at Anfield, critics are wondering whether his magic is wearing off
-
Uefa Champions League 2022-2023 guide: group stage draw and key dates
feature Liverpool face Rangers while Man City’s Erling Haaland has a reunion with Dortmund
