Cristiano Ronaldo '100 Percent' Fit Ahead of El Clasico Despite Hamstring Injury

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to start in Saturday's El Clasico clash against Barcelona, getting over his hamstring complaint in time for the derby meeting.

Ronaldo suffered a setback in Real's FIFA Club World Cup encounter with Brazilian outfit Gremio last Saturday, but Zidane said on Friday that his star man is ready to face Barca at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, per Football Espana:

"Cristiano is 100 percent fit and ready to go.

"He has trained very hard and done everything right in order to be ready for this fixture and after the break, we will discuss the situation (regarding his contract).

"The players are ready, we are always ready for these type of games."

Goal provided footage of the Portuguese forward upon his return to training on Friday:

Los Merengues will be boosted by the confirmation that their talisman is likely to start in Madrid, with this a must-win matchup if Real are to rein in La Liga leaders Barca, who sit 11 points above them.

Zidane's men are fourth coming into the league matchup and could jump above Valencia into third if they take maximum spoils, with Los Che set to host Villarreal on Saturday afternoon.

ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan also spectated Real's training session on Friday and attested to Ronaldo being in high spirits:

He's likely to play a key role if Los Blancos are to have their best chance of handing Barca their first defeat of the season, and Ernesto Valverde's side can go nine points clear at the top if they take three points from the capital.

Ronaldo has only scored four times in La Liga this season but boasts a record of 17 goals in 31 El Clasico meetings, and he is approaching yet another Real club record in that regard:

One particularly ominous sign for Real is that their fiercest rivals have won in both of their most recent trips to the Bernabeu, 3-2 in April and a 4-0 home capitulation in November 2015.

Zidane went on to concede Saturday's hosts have "more to lose" in Saturday's affair, although Ronaldo's return to fitness means they can afford to feel more hopeful of avoiding defeat.