Zinedine Zidane Backs Cristiano Ronaldo to Be Fit for Champions League Final
Zinedine Zidane has called Cristiano Ronaldo's injury in Sunday's Clasico a 'small knock' and played down fears the Ballon d'Or holder could miss the upcoming Champions League final in Kiev on May 26.
Real Madrid played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final Clasico of the season on Sunday night, but despite a positive performance from Zidane's side against Barcelona, they left with just a point and concerns about Ronaldo's fitness.
With the final against Liverpool Zidane's main aim, the Frenchman was forced to substitute key man Ronaldo at half-time, after the Portuguese forward appeared to turn his ankle.
Addressing the injury, via MARCA, Zidane admitted Ronaldo's ankle was 'swollen' but backed his superstar to recover quickly.
He said: "It doesn't feel good right now, but I think it's going to be small [problem], it's just a knock.
"Don't worry about the final, he will be there."
"I cannot tell you how long [Ronaldo will be out for], but he said that he thinks it isn't much. We will see tomorrow."
Addressing the game itself, Zidane also admitted he wanted to win the clash with Barça, despite having nothing at stake.
He said: "I would liked to have won. In a Clasico where there was nothing at stake, it was a great game.
"We both went out to play. We both played a great game and football is always the most important thing, more so than the controversies.
"It was a difficult match for the referee, but I'm not going to get involved, it's tough. There's been a bit of everything but that isn't going to change anything at the end. It is done."
"We played a good game [before the red card] and, in contrast, with the extra man we were a bit worse.
"We needed to have a little more patience, but that doesn't change anything. We must congratulate Barcelona."
