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Zinedine Zidane is already well aware of the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be fit for the European Super Cup final and that Gareth Bale will be a close call. That’s probably why he’s started looking at alternative line-ups, including a two-man strike force.

In this afternoon’s training session in Montreal, the Frenchman decided to take a quick look at how Benzema and Morata play together. They both looked in good nick as they lined up against a back four of Marcelo, Lienhart, Tejero and Carvajal. Benzema was Real Madrid’s number 9 of choice last season, while Morata had look set to be sold for a large profit this summer but it now looks as if he will stay at the Bernabéu.

The French striker opted to skip the first half of today’s drill as a precautionary measure, which included weight and resistance training. He joined in for the second phase and was able to complete the training plan designed by club fitness coach Antonio Pintus.

Benzema showed nos signs of discomfort for the 20 minutes the session lasted and was leading also the group in sprints, as part of a group that included Marcelo, Lucas Vázquez, Mariano and Sergio Díaz.

This first look at a possible two-man forward pairing comes just three days before the first summer friendly, when Zidane’s men will line up against Unai Emery’s PSG in Columbus, Ohio.

The squad conducted their eleventh training session of the pre-season without both Marco Asensio and Mariano, who trained apart from the rest of squad in the gym. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas, meanwhile, continues with his recovery program following an operation on his left foot back in June.

The last line of defence needs to be prepared for anything and Madrid’s goalkeeping coach, Luis Llopis, fired tennis balls from behind Navas’ field of vision to help with that.

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They say never go back to an old love, no matter how strong the feelings are. Thankfully though, for Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane didn’t take any notice of this philosophy.

A Champions League winner as a player during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, the French World Cup winner returned to the Spanish capital to manage Real Madrid Castilla in 2014 and then stepped up to replace Rafa Benitez in the Madrid dugout in January 2016. Zidane proved to be as good a coach as he was a player – as he masterminded the club’s 11th triumph in Europe’s premier club competition during his first season in charge.

Zidane was unveiled as the newest member of the Galácticos when he signed for Madrid from Juventus for a world record fee of €75 million, when he signed a four-year contract in 2001. Just as he would go on to do as a manager, Zidane lifted the Champions League trophy in his first season at the club and even scored the match winning goal in the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen – as he volleyed the ball in with his weaker foot, to score what has been named as one of the greatest goals in Champions League history.

More success would follow the season after – as Los Blancos claimed the 2002/03 La Liga title. Zidane starred in midfield alongside Luis Figo in that campaign and his fine form saw him rewarded by being named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time.

His list of personal accolades increased further still 12 months later, when football fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA’s 50th anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll.

Although Zidane’s final season ended without a trophy, the French legend enjoyed personal success by scoring his first hat-trick in January 2006 – as his goals inspired a 4-2 win over Sevilla. Those goals would help him to finish as second highest goalscorer behind Ronaldo and, coincidentally, he also finished second behind David Beckham on the assists list.

After announcing his decision to retire after the 2006 World Cup, Zidane scored in his final game for Madrid on May 7, 2006 – a 3-3 draw with Villarreal. His teammates wore commemorative shirts with ZIDANE 2001-2006 below the club logo, while the 80,000 fans inside the Santiago Bernabeu held up a banner reading “Thanks for the magic.”

If the supporters thought that they had see the last of the Zidane magic on that day, they were wrong.

He was appointed as then-manager Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant coach in 2013, before being named as coach of Real Madrid Castilla in June 2014. Following Benitez’s departure on January 4, 2016, Zidane signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to become the new manager of Madrid on the same day.

He took to management like a duck to water – as Madrid demolished Deportivo La Coruna 5-0 in a La Liga clash played just five days after his arrival. Zidane’s magic touch continued into his first El Clasico match as manager on April 2, with Madrid winning 2-1 at the Nou Camp to end Barca’s 39-match unbeaten run. Not only that, but the Frenchman became the first Real manager to win his first El Clasico match since Bernd Schuster in December 2007.

Barcelona edged La Liga by one point come the end of the season, but Madrid could take comfort from the fact they would face city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final on May 28. Zidane’s men won on penalties thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the winner in the shootout, to see of their neighbours in the final for the second time in three seasons.

With that victory, Zidane became only the seventh man to lift the European Cup as both a player and a manager and was only the second to do so for Real behind Miguel Munoz.

As a player, Pele described Zidane as “The master”, while Franz Beckenbauer stated: “Zidane is one of the greatest players in history, a truly magnificent player.” With plenty of others voicing similar views about his skills and importance, Zidane truly has proven himself during his time on the pitch and – given the way he started his managerial career at Madrid – it’s surely only a matter of time before he proves himself in the dugout as well.

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As the latest Galáctico to join Real Madrid back in 2003, England captain David Beckham immediately endeared himself to the Madrid fans – as he snubbed rivals Barcelona to join the club.

Manchester United and Barca had announced they had reached a deal for Beckham to go to the Nou Camp, but he opted instead to join the reigning Spanish champions for €35 million. By signing a four-year contract, he became the third Englishman to play for Los Blancos after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman.

With new head coach Carlos Queiroz also making the switch from the Red Devils over the summer, Beckham settled in straight away and started life at the Santiago Bernabeu in fine form. His first goal came when he scored the final goal in the 3-0 second leg win over RCD Mallorca, to help Madrid to win the Spanish Super Cup.

In a star-studded side containing three former FIFA World Player of the Year recipients – Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luís Figo – in addition to Roberto Carlos, Raúl and Iker Casillas, Beckham proved he was able to hold his own by scoring five times in his first 16 matches. This included netting a goal less than three minutes into his La Liga debut.

Beckham’s first season ended in disappointment for the club, as they failed to live up to pre-season expectations. Madrid finished the season in fourth place of La Liga, lost in the final of the Copa del Rey and were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage.

In October 2004, Beckham was sent off in a league match against Valencia. After being shown a yellow card, he was judged to have sarcastically applauded the referee’s decision and was given a second yellow card for his actions. However, his suspension was cancelled on appeal.

His discipline didn’t get much better in 2004/05 – as, on December 3 2005, Beckham was sent off for the third time that season in a league match against Getafe CF. However, things would pick up for the Englishman, who claimed the highest number of assists in La Liga for the season.

Beckham was so close but so far to silverware once again – as Real Madrid finished second to Barcelona in the 2005/06 La Liga and crashed out to Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League.

He initially fell out of favour with new manager Fabio Capello, who opted to play the speedier José Antonio Reyes on the right wing. To make matters worse, Real lost seven of the first nine matches Beckham started that season.

On January 11, 2007, Beckham announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season, to join MLS side LA Galaxy. Two days later, Cappello stated that Beckham had played his last game for Real Madrid – although he would continue to train with the team.

However, Capello later backtracked on that statement less than a month later – as he allowed Beckham to rejoin the team for a La Liga meeting with Real Sociedad. Beckham immediately showed Capello what he had been missing, by scoring a 27-yard free kick to level the scores on the way to a 2–1 victory for Real.

Beckham then played a pivotal part in all three of Madrid’s goal in the home tie of their Champions League round of 16 tie with Bayern Munich. It wasn’t enough to see the Spanish side through though – as Bayern prevailed on the away goals rule – but his performance saw Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn label Beckham’s performance as “World class.”

His final appearance for Madrid came in the last La Liga game of the season, but the 3-1 win over RCD Mallorca would throw up contrasting emotions for Beckham.

With Real 0-1 down, Beckham limped off and he could only watch as Reyes – his replacement – scored twice to help the club claim their 30th La Liga title. Real finished level on points with Barcelona, but edged the title due to their superior head-to-head record – as Beckham claimed his first La Liga title, to cap a remarkable six months.

Beckham’s turnaround was so great that, several weeks before Beckham’s scheduled arrival at LA Galaxy, Madrid’s management contacted the ownership group of the American club about reacquiring the player. However, they were quickly turned down.

Although he only claimed two pieces of silverware during his time in the Spanish capital, Forbes magazine reported after his departure that Beckham had been the main reason for Madrid’s huge increase in merchandise sales – a total reported to top US$600 million during Beckham’s four years at the club.

Speaking at Beckham’s unveiling at Madrid in 2003, club president Florentino Pérez said: “He is a great player, who is going to become part of the club’s great history.

“He is a man of our times and a symbol of modern-day stardom. What is certain is (that) Real have signed Beckham because he’s a great footballer and a very dedicated professional.”

Looking at Beckham’s time at the club, it certainly would be hard to argue with any of that.

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Luís Figo’s arrival in July 2000 not only heralded the beginning of Real Madrid’s Galáctico era, but it also saw the Portuguese star cross the divide – after joining the club from La Liga rivals Barcelona.

Figo had a €62m buy-out clause in his contract at the Nou Camp, which was met by new club president Florentino Pérez. Pérez had made a promise to bring in Figo as part of his election campaign and the move saw the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner become the world’s most expensive player – a record he held until Kaká arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu nine years later.

Figo quickly became the new focus of the rivalry between Real and Barca, with Barcelona fans feeling a sense of betrayal that led to them turning against him. That bile all built up to Figo’s return to his old club for his first El Clasico for Los Blancos on October 21.

Figo was mercilessly taunted throughout, with “Traitor”, “Judas”, “Scum”, and “Mercenary” banners hung around the stadium and Figo being greeted with insults and missiles flying his way every time he touched the ball. Barca won the game 2-0, with Pérez stating after the game that “The atmosphere got to us all.”

The Portuguese star put the personal disappointment he felt that night firmly behind him though – as he went on to score 14 goals in all competitions in his first season. Figo also had the last laugh over Barcelona by celebrating a La Liga triumph in his debut year at the Bernabeu, with his form also leading to him receiving the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year.

The arrival of Zinedine Zidane in summer 2001 would see Figo link up well with the newest Galáctico at Madrid. So much so, in fact, that the pair inspired Real to claim the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League – Figo’s second major European trophy.

When Figo returned to the Nou Camp again in November 2002, it would create one of the defining images of the Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry.

The animosity and hatred that he was met with on his first visit showed no sign of subsiding – as beer cans, lighters, bottles and golf balls flew towards him every time he came within range of the Barcelona fans. Discussing the Barca fans’s behaviour that night, Figo commented: “I was worried that some madman might lose his head.”

Figo’s words were certainly apt, given the events that conspired in the second half.

Having decided to take corners as usual during the game, Figo walked across, slowed to pick up the missiles and – as he prepared to take the corner – he moved away some of the debris, while giving an ironic thumbs-up and smiling.

The missile throwing got so extreme that referee Luis Medina Cantalejo suspended the game for almost 20 minutes. One item picked up by TV cameras in amongst the debris by the corner flag was a pig’s head, which became the defining image of the rivalry.

Figo picked up one more trophy in his five-year spell in the Spanish capital – as part of the La Liga-winning side in 2003, before he left to join Serie A side Inter Milan on a free transfer in 2005.

Looking back at his first return to his old club, Figo’s Madrid teammate Iván Campo remarked: “I’ve never heard anything like it. Luís didn’t deserve that.

“He’d given his all for Barcelona. It was built up before: ‘a traitor’s coming,’ the media said. No, Luís Figo is coming, one of the greats for you.

“That night hurt him, you could see. His head was bowed and he was thinking: ‘bloody hell, I was here last season’…but my lasting emotion was admiration. You’ve got balls.”

That admiration was felt the world over for Figo and the dignity he showed when faced with the hostility of his former club and throughout the rest of his time at the club, to the point that – in April 2013 – Figo was named by Spanish newspaper Marca as a member of the “Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid’s history” alongside fellow midfield maestro Zidane.

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Iker Casillas

As the saying goes, legends are made not born and it’s fair to say that former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas is testament to that.

The Spanish goalkeeper enjoyed a hugely successful time at the Santiago Bernabeu. With 725 appearances for Real, Casillas is second only to fellow youth academy graduate Raul – who featured 741 times for Madrid – in the all-time appearances list for the club.

Spending 16 years in the Madrid first team saw him win: five La Liga titles (2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2011/12), two Copa del Rey titles (2010/11, 2013/14), four Supercopa de España titles (2001, 2003, 2008, 2012), three UEFA Champions League titles (1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14), two UEFA Super Cups (2002, 2014), two Intercontinental Cups (1998, 2002) and the FIFA Club World Cup (2014).

Casillas joined Madrid as a nine-year-old boy back in 1990 and rose up through the ranks at the Santiago Bernabeu over the following nine years. Famous for his safe hands, the young Casillas dropped a clanger one weekend as a youngster – after forgetting to post his father’s football predictions, in which he’d predicted all 14 results correct, seeing his family miss out on an estimated €1.2 million (£1 million.)

He made his first team debut on November 27, 1997 at the age of 16, in a Champions League fixture against Rosenborg. The competition would be kind to the Madrid academy graduate in his early years playing for the first team – as he went on to become the youngest ever goalkeeper to feature in a Champions League final in 2000, playing in the 3-0 win over Valencia just four days after his 19th birthday.

Some poor performances saw him lose his place in the side to backup goalkeeper César Sánchez during the 2001/02 season. However, he was able to redeem himself with another spectacular performance in the 2002 Champions League final – after he came on to replace an injured Sánchez and produce a string of spectacular saves to deny Bayer Leverkusen and secure a 2-1 win for Los Blancos.

The 2007/08 season proved to be a good one for Casillas – as, not only did he help Real Madrid to claim their 31st La Liga title, but he conceded just 32 goals in 36 games to claim the prestigious Zamora Trophy. In addition to this, both he and club captain Raul were awarded with contracts for life on February 14, 2008 and Casillas’ form alsosaw him rewarded with a spot in the UEFA Team of the Year for a second time.

In February 2009, he equalled Paco Buyo’s record of 454 appearances for a goalkeeper and was then able to claim the record outright at only 27 years old. That summer saw him linked with a record £129m move to Premier League side Manchester City, but Casillas himself stated that he “had no intention of leaving” his boyhood club.

Following the departures of captain Raul and vice-captain Guti during the 2010/11 season, Casillas was named as the new captain of Real Madrid. He was given the nod ahead of Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Gonzalo Higuain – as all three had to settle as being named as vice-captains.

Casillas claimed the IFFHS Best Goalkeeper award in 2011/12, making him the second goalkeeper to win it four times – behind Gianluigi Buffon – but the first to win the award an impressive four times in a row. He would then go on to win it again for a fifth successive time the following season, making him the first person to win five IFFHS Best Goalkeeper awards.

The season also saw him play his 600th game for the club – a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on January 22, 2012. Casillas would go on to claim his fifth La Liga title – his first as captain – four months later, following a 3-0 win at Bilbao on May 2.

Jose Mourinho’s arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Casillas and the former Chelsea manager suffer a series of sour disagreements, which was said to have started following the Portuguese manager’s decision to drop Casillas in favour of Antonio Adan for a La Liga match against Malaga on December 22, 2012.

A serious injury to Casillas one month later caused Mourinho to sign Diego López from Sevilla. López was installed as first choice goalkeeper ahead of Adan and kept his place, even when Casillas was passed fit to return to action.

Mourinho departed at the end of that season, but Casillas would find himself benched again by new manager Carlo Ancelotti. He finally started his first game in 238 days in a Champions League clash against Galatasaray, but it turned out to be another sour note for the stopper – as he was injured in the 14th minute by an accidental elbow by Ramos, while coming to collect a cross.

Despite remaining as second choice in La Liga following his return from injury once again, Casillas continued to be picked for Madrid’s Champions League and Copa del Rey games – as he went on to set a new record of 962 minutes without conceding a goal.

February 2014 would also see him set another record, when he became the first goalkeeper to play in every round of the Copa del Rey prior to the final without conceding a goal. Even though he was unable to keep that record up in the final, he still managed to captain Real to a 2-1 win over rivals Barcelona.

Casillas also captained Madrid to a 4-1 Champions League Final victory over neighbours Atletico Madrid on May 24, 2014 – as Madrid’s tenth triumph in the competition saw him win the trophy for the third time in his career. Wins in the European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup followed the season after and Casillas also broke Edwin van der Sar’s record for the most clean sheets in Champions League history.

However, after much speculation regarding his future, Casillas left Madrid on July 11, 2015 and signed for Portuguese side Porto on a two-year deal. The club’s conduct in his exit was criticized – as his parents claimed that he had been forced out of the club by president Florentino Pérez, who received calls to quit from fans.

Despite the sour note on which his career at the club ended, Casillas – who also captained Spain to one World Cup and two European Championship victories between 2008 and 2012 – is without a doubt a true Real Madrid legend, who is respected by fans and fellow professionals alike.

Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Buffon summed it up perfectly in his message to Casillas following his switch to Porto: “You’ve always been a Real Madrid icon, but above all you’ve been one of the best representatives of our position on the pitch.

“Good luck in your new adventure, it’ll be strange to see you in another shirt from now on. Go Iker!”

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Real Madrid could join Everton and Juventus in the race for Moussa Sissoko’s signature – and may even be willing to allow Newcastle United to take a player in exchange for the Frenchman.

Reports in Spain claim that Real president Florentino Perez is angered by losing out to Barcelona in the pursuit of Andre Gomes and will “counter-attack” by attempting to lure Sissoko to the Bernabeu.

Spanish publication Sport suggest that, although Real would have been willing to pay more than £30m for Valencia’s Gomes, he is not minded to match Newcastle’s £35m asking price for Sissoko.

Instead, the Champions League holders would look to negotiate a “figure somewhat lower” for the French international, but could potentially offer a player to Newcastle as part of any deal – either on a loan or permanent basis.

Magpies boss Rafa Benitez was sacked as Real manager by Perez at the beginning of the year and -although the pair did not part on the best terms – their past relationship could prove crucial in striking up a deal, if the Spanish giants do firm up their reported interest.

With Georginio Wijnaldum heading to Liverpool in a £25m deal, Sissoko – who starred for France in the Euro 2016 final, despite their narrow loss to Portugal – is now widely expected to follow the Dutchman out of the exit door at St James’ Park.

Everton are believed to hold an interest in Sissoko, as are Juventus, who could move for the 26-year-old if Paul Pogba completes a world-record transfer back to Manchester United.

But Real’s reported interest could really excite Sissoko, who is desperate to join to a Champions League side.

The Frenchman is unlikely to be heading to Arsenal, however, even though he described the Gunners as a “beautiful” club earlier this summer.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has told the Gunners’ official website that he believes his squad is now “solid in midfield”, even though three players have left the Emirates this summer.

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While on pre-season duty in North America, Marcelo has called for focus from his Real Madrid teammates ahead of the new season – insisting memories of past success should be forgotten.

As Zinedine Zidane heads into his first full season in charge of the first team, Los Blancos are again expecting a big year, with a challenge for the La Liga title against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid forthcoming.

Despite a rocky start to the last campaign – which saw Rafa Benitez sacked and replaced by Zidane in January – Los Blancos ended the season as European champions, beating Atleti in the final in Milan. But the Brazilian full-back says they must look ahead, if they want to achieve more in the next year.

Marcelo said: “We must look forward, thinking back to the final last year is pointless. We are heading towards the Super Cup, working to improve.

“But we must forget the Champions League, even if it is an amazing memory.”

As one of the squad’s most experienced players, Marcelo is entering his tenth campaign in the Spanish capital. He also revealed that he hopes to carry on for a long time, despite being asked about the possibility of playing at a club in Major League Soccer.

Marcelo added: “I have defended this shirt to the death every season. The MLS is a growing league, it is impressive, but I hope to stay at Madrid for many years to come.”

Marcelo has played 389 games for Los Blancos in his nine seasons in the Spanish capital so far, topping Cristiano Ronaldo (348), Pepe (316), and another club legend Uli Stielike (308). In fact, Marcelo has played more games for the club than any other foreign player bar one: his Brazilian compatriot Roberto Carlos, who ended his glittering career on a whopping 527 appearances in the famous white shirt.

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Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez has revealed that the club have received a big-money offer for him, but insists that he is going nowhere.

The 25-year-old struggled for regular first-team football under Zinedine Zidane last season – making just 17 league starts throughout the campaign – and much been said in the press of the future of Rodríguez and whether or not it will be at Madrid. However, all of those rumours of his departure have been denied by the Colombian himself.

Newspaper Marca revealed a conversation that had taken place with the Colombian international, in which Rodriguez Rubio said that he will continue in the team ‘merengue’, where he will fight to earn a place in the team and where he expects to harvest many more successes with the Champions League holder.

Rodríguez – who will be joining the rest of the Madrid for the beginning of pre-season in the coming days – stated: “I’m going to stay at Real Madrid. I’m going to succeed here.”

The decision for him to continue in the white rows was made himself, despite having recognised that official approaches had been for his service.

The likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham United have all been linked with the Madrid midfielder, but he expressed his desire to fight for his place in the team.

The captain of Columbia added: “I know that the Club has come to an offer of 85 million for me, but I’m not leaving.”

Despite his instance that he will remain at the Santiago Bernabeu, Red Devils’ chief executive Ed Woodward is reported to have held talks with the agent of James Rodriguez – Jorge Mendes – over the potential signing of the Colombian star.

According to El Confidencial, Woodward met with Mendes last week, with a view to working out a deal to bring the 25-year-old to Old Trafford.

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Manchester City are reportedly hoping to land Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, should he be sold to make way for Paul Pogba at the Santiago Bernabeu.

According to the English newspaper the Daily Mirror, the Citizens have made an inquiry about the availability of the Germany international and, in turn, “have received encouragement that a deal may be possible.”

If Los Blancos are to match Manchester United’s efforts to sign Juventus star Pogba – who could cost upward of £100 million – selling Kroos would not only provide them with the capital they need, but would also free up a space in the starting XI.

Real want £50 million for the 26-year-old, which is just over double what they paid for him in 2014. The player is said to be content in the Spanish capital, but could be open to a move.

The Premier League side have yet to make “direct contact” with Los Blancos, though, and seem to be proceeding cautiously — as they’re “wary about being used to engineer a pay rise for Kroos.”

City boss Pep Guardiola managed Kroos at Bayern Munich and remains a keen admirer in him, seemingly wishing that he’d been able to work with him for longer than the one campaign they enjoyed together before the German joined Real.

The midfielder provides a calming presence on the ball and his distribution is impeccable. He not only controls games from the middle of the park, but also uses his array of passing to create chances for his team-mates and he would be a phenomenal signing for City.

Real Madrid paid Bayern Munich £24m to sign Kroos two years ago, but his value has doubled since then. The playmaker is said to be happy in Spain but would not rule out a move, while City are ready to splash the cash – as they look to build a team to challenge for the Premier League title, after under-performing last season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is working to try and get fit in time for the European Super Cup on 9 August against Sevilla.

It’ll be difficult for the Portuguese captain to recover, but he won’t give up. This is proven by his decision to do something that not many footballers do: brought a personal trainer with him on his vacation.

Ronaldo injured himself on 10 July in the final of Euro 2016 – a grade one sprain of the internal lateral ligament in his left knee – and, after the celebrations with his national side in Portugal two days later, he started his recuperation despite it being his time off with friends and family in Ibiza.

Nevertheless, the Real Madrid striker will still struggle to make it back in time for the Super Cup in Norway.

Medics informed AS the day after his injury that recovery would take at least six weeks. Besides his personal trainer, the forward has also being going to a clinic in Ibiza to have sessions in a hyperbaric chamber and even though Ronaldo is already able to run, but any impact could worsen the problem.

The Los Blancos number seven won’t forget that two years ago – also against Sevilla – he scored two goals in Real Madrid’s Super Cup triumph in Cardiff, in what is the destination of this season’s Champion’s League final, which further underlined his claim to the Balon d’Or that he won five months later.

The 31-year-old has a sprained ligament in his left knee and he is unlikely to return to action before the European Super Cup. However, that hasn’t stopped him from posting a thank you message to his fans for the support he has received during his injury.

Speaking on a video posted on his Instragram account, Ronaldo said: “Hi everyone. I just wanted to thank all my fans.

“I wanted to tell them that all is well and that I will come back much stronger. Thank you, long live Portugal!”

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