BARCELONA, Sporting Alert – Zinedine Zidane has named his 19 member Real Madrid squad for Saturday’s El Clasico La Liga match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Notable missing from the squad for the matchday 31 fixture was center-back Raphael Varane after he failed to recover from the injury he picked up on international duty with France.
Varane reportedly re-aggrevated a calf muscle problem while playing for his country during the week, but although confirming that his countryman is injured, Zidane wasn’t prepared to say exactly what had happened.
“The problem is we cannot control these things. He played the second game with France, he had some sort of injury,” Madrid boss Zidane said. “We don’t know exactly what it is.
“We did an ultrasound scan this morning and we will now do an MRI scan to see what it really is that he has. These things can happen if you have two games very close together.”
In the meantime, though, midfielder Toni Kroos, who was doubtful for the clash as well, has been named in the traveling squad to Barcelona.
Zidane revealed the condition on the Germany international: “It was a scare, just a stamp.
“He finished training but is aching and nothing more. He will be with us tomorrow.”
Also included in the Real Madrid squad are Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Gareth Bale Luka Modric James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jese, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez.
The Whites trail Barcelona by 10 points in the La Liga standing and Zidane says his team will be going after three points on Saturday.
“We are here to try to win every game,” French icon and 1998 World Cup winner said. “We have prepared well all week, despite some players being away due to international commitments.
“There are three points to be won in this game and we will do everything we can to get the win there.”
He added: “We have to keep doing as we have been recently. We are doing well, we’re in a good moment and we have to make the most of this.
“We have to keep growing as a team. We are a team with a lot of personality.
“We will prepare for the game in the best way possible because we are coming into this strongly, in every sense of the word.”
REAL MADRID EL CLASICO SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Casilla and Yáñez.
Defenders: Pepe, Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Carvajal and Danilo.
Midfielders: Kroos, James, Bale, Casemiro, Modric and Isco.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Benzema, Lucas Vázquez and Jesé.
