Zidane assures supporters Ronaldo is '100 percent' fit for El Clasico

Cristiano Ronaldo is not only clear to play in Saturday's El Clasico, he's in good shape.

There were concerns earlier this week that Ronaldo would miss Real Madrid's traditional clash with Barcelona due to a nagging calf injury. He was targeted throughout last weekend's Club World Cup final against Gremio, and despite scoring the winner, the Portuguese superstar left worse for wear. Ronaldo missed the past three days of training before returning for Friday's session.

"He's OK. He's 100 percent. He's trained today," manager Zinedine Zidane told reporters, courtesy of the BBC.

The 32-year-old is looking like his old self after a slow start to the campaign. However, with just four goals in La Liga thus far, Ronaldo still trails eternal rival Lionel Messi by a significant margin in the scoring race.

Gareth Bale is also in contention to make his first league start since September. The famous BBC triumvirate, with Karim Benzema up top, has yet to play this season.

"I'll not choose a player because I want him to play in a Clasico. I trust my players and they can get injured, but the important thing is that I think he is 100 percent to play. We'll see if he plays or not tomorrow."

Madrid desperately needs a win at the Santiago Bernabeu to stay in the title conversation. The two-time defending European champion has faded from view since its evisceration of Barcelona in August's Spanish Super Cup, dropping to fourth place in the table.

Meanwhile, Ernesto Valverde's side is unbeaten in its past 24 matches.