Real Madrid are heading to Manchester City for Tuesday’s first leg of their Champions League semifinal with one major concern: the fitness of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Both star strikers, who have scored 74 goals between them this season, are nursing right-leg injuries.
Ronaldo strained a muscle in a win over Villarreal on Wednesday, ruling him out of Saturday’s match at Rayo Vallecano – that Benzema exited before halftime with a leg injury of his own.
Coach Zinedine Zidane said that Ronaldo, who trained on Sunday, will travel with the squad to England. Benzema is a bigger worry for the former France great.
“We’re going to assess Benzema,” Zidane said after Saturday’s match. “All I can say is that it’s not a knock. I hope that it’s nothing serious and that he’ll be available for Tuesday.