Zinedine Zidane has a full strength squad at his disposal as Real Madrid visit Estadio de la Ceramica to take on Villarreal on Saturday.
Real Madrid will be aiming to end their forgettable league campaign on a high when they face off against Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica on Saturday. Coming off the back of an emphatic 6-0 win over Celta Vigo at Balaidos last weekend, Zinedine Zidane will be further buoyed by the availability of his entire squad, especially keeping next week’s Champions League final in mind.
Dani Carvajal and his side’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo were the final two players off the treatment table, after recovering from hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively. The Real Madrid boss was visibly delighted by the fact that the club has a clean bill of health, iterating the same in his pre-match press conference.
“The good thing for me and for all the players is that they’re physically one hundred percent fit. I’m not going to tell anybody the line-up in Kiev until the game comes. Physically, everyone looks great. It’s crucial to have everyone fit, I’m just disappointed for the guys who are going to miss out on these two games.”
But, while he does have all his men available, Zidane is likely to preserve a few key players, either by resting them completely, or by starting them on the bench. The likes of Keylor Navas, Raphael Varane, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Isco are expected to be missing from the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Carvajal and Ronaldo should see some action in the latter stages of the game to regain their sharpness ahead of the Champions League final, and the Real Madrid manager confirmed the same, talking at length on the Portuguese superstar, in particular.
“Yes, it’s important for them to be there. I don’t think about negative things like the fact they could pick up injuries. We need to put in a good performance tomorrow, it’s important preparation for the final. Even if you’re training well, nothing can replicate the intensity, pressure and pace of a real football match.”
“We’re pleased we can play tomorrow. Cristiano is 120% fit, he’s fine. He trained normally all week and he’s ready to play tomorrow, which is our last game before the final.”
In the absence of the aforementioned regulars, the likes of Kiko Casilla, Achraf Hakimi, Jesus Vallejo, Theo Hernandez and Mateo Kovacic are all likely to be handed rare starts, while Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez and Gareth Bale will look at this game as their final opportunity to stake their claim for a start next week.
Bale, in particular, has been in fine form of late, and will be eager to continue his scoring run, with Zidane impressed by his return to form as well, as he said, “Bale is playing better and training well. When a player is scoring goals, you can say he’s playing better.”
