Cristiano Ronaldo has regained full fitness and will play in Real Madrid's La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed.
Ronaldo suffered some tough treatment from his markers during Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win at Ludogorets, receiving medical attention late in the game after being kicked in the back of the leg by the Bulgarian side's Madagascar international Anicet Abel.
The Portugal captain did not take a full part in Madrid's training sessions over the following days and was a doubt for the match, but he was back with his teammates for Saturday morning's workout, after which Ancelotti said the 29-year-old was available to play against Athletic.
"Cristiano is very good," Ancelotti said. "He trained individually yesterday, but is completely recovered, at his best."
Ronaldo's last meeting with the Basque side saw him sent off after a scuffle with Carlos Gurpegi and Ander Iturraspe during January's 1-1 draw at San Mames, leading to a three -atch ban in total after he made a gesture to the officials as he left the field.
Ancelotti said this incident was long forgotten, and Ronaldo would be concentrating on continuing a run of form which has brought 12 goals in his last seven games in all competitions.
"Ronaldo is not thinking about that, just preparing to play his best," the Italian coach said. "Everything passed is forgotten now. Tomorrow there will be no problems."
Something harder to move on from has been Madrid's tendency to regularly concede goals at set-pieces this season, with goalkeeper Iker Casillas talking about the issue as a 'spectre' after it happened again at Ludogorets midweek. Ancelotti said the team had been working on fixing the problem at training, however it was not something to obsess about.
"We are concerned about that, of course," he said. "We are working to fix it, we were doing that this morning. But we should not be too afraid of it, it will pass. Real Madrid are not the only team who concede at set-pieces, Barcelona did too this week [at Paris Saint Germain]. We have also scored many goals at set-pieces."
Another issue preoccupying Blancos pundits recently has been a perceived lack of defensive effort from Gareth Bale. Ancelotti also played down this as an issue, saying he asked the same off the ball work from all his attacking players.
"Defensive tasks are not an individual question," he said. "What I ask from Gareth I ask from everyone. They need to work in attack, and also to help the team to win the ball back. What I ask from Bale, I ask from Cristiano and Karim [Benzema]."
Ancelotti said that fit-again centre-back Pepe would replace Raphael Varane at centre-back for Sunday's game. It was also revealed that Isco would drop back to the bench with James Rodriguez returning to the team in the midfield role filled last season by now Manchester United player Angel Di Maria.
"Isco did well in the game on Wednesday," he said. "He is a very important player for me, but tomorrow James will start the game. He is very focused on the work he has to do, and doing it well,. He can do it better, I am sure about that. James is not Di Maria, but there are things he can do that Di Maria cannot. They are different players."
Club captain Iker Casillas will also play the game, his first La Liga game at the Bernabeu since being whistled during his side's painful 2-1 home home to city rivals Atletico Madrid in mid-September. Ancelotti dismissed a suggestion he might again play Keylor Navas in goal to protect Casillas from his own side's fans.
"The Bernabeu will help us tomorrow, as always," he said. "It is a dangerous game, against a team not on a good run in this moment. We must be careful, and try and maintain our own good run, which is bringing confidence and enthusiasm for all madridismo."