Cristiano Ronaldo will play one hour in preparation for Kiev
Zinedine Zidane has one more game to get his Real Madrid team into perfect shape ahead of Liverpool in the Champions League, with one key player ready to return.
Cristiano Ronaldo completed his second training session with the group on Wednesday after the ankle sprain he suffered in the Camp Nou Clásico. Real Madrid's Portuguese star is already in tip-top condition and, according to Spanish TV programme, El Chiringuito, is scheduled to play just one hour on Saturday against Villarreal.
Cristiano targets peak final condition
Zidane and the training team have a clear objective: to get their talisman's to peak match fitness for the Kiev final after having missed the club's previous two games against Sevilla and Celta Vigo. Although playing in Los Blancos' final Liga game of the season carries a risk of further injury, Cristiano does not want to arrive at the showpiece final without having competed in 20 days. For this reason, he has agreed with Zidane to start at the Estadio de la Cerámica to get up to speed but will not stay on till the end.
Carvajal back
Another important player recovering from injury is Dani Carvajal and, just like their number seven, he is expected to play some part against Villarreal. The full-back picked up a knock on April 25 in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich but has also been able to complete the last two training sessions with no adverse reaction. Carvajal could start on Saturday evening alongside Cristiano but, with a little more caution required, if may be that he only takes to the field for a run out in the second half.
