Zinedine Zidane Says Cristiano Ronaldo Injury 'Nothing Serious' After Clasico

Real Madrid manager Zidane Zidane has said Cristiano Ronaldo's ankle problem is "nothing serious" after the Portuguese was taken off at half-time in the 2-2 draw with Barcelona on Sunday. 

Ronaldo rolled his ankle while netting an equaliser for his team on the night, and while he continued for the remainder of the first period, the forward was in some initial discomfort.

Fears were fuelled further when Ronaldo didn't emerge for the second half, although after the game Zidane said he doesn't believe the 33-year-old is in any danger of missing the UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool on May 26.

"Ronaldo? He's not too good at the moment, but I don't think it's anything serious," said the Frenchman, per Football Espana. "I think it's just a knock. We'll see the test results tomorrow, but I think it's only a minor thing for him. I'm not worried about the final, we'll all be there."

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Zidane went on to add he's unsure when Ronaldo will return but reiterated "it's only something small."

Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC outlined when we may see the forward back in action:

As noted below, Ronaldo has been hampered by injury in a big game previously, as Portugal took on France in the UEFA European Championship in 2016:

The forward has proved himself to be the man for the big occasion, and if Madrid were to lose him for the showdown in Kiev it would be a massive problem.

On Sunday Ronaldo offered a reminder of what he can do against the best sides. His movement was outstanding throughout the first period, and while he got on the scoresheet, latching on to a brilliant Karim Benzema knockdown, he could have easily taken the game away from Barcelona with other chances.

Per Mister Chip, coming up against Barcelona seems to bring the best out of the former Manchester United man:

While Ronaldo started the season slowly, he's slipped back into an excellent groove in 2018, helping Madrid power into their fourth European Cup final in the last five years. The team are chasing a third Champions League win in a row.

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Ronaldo didn't net in either leg of the semi-final against Bayern Munich as Madrid scraped through to the showpiece in Ukraine. However, he's been prolific in the Champions League in recent years; he's scored three times in the last three finals too.

Real have three matches still to play in La Liga, including a meeting with Sevilla on Wednesday at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. With little to play for in the Spanish top flight in the remaining games, it would be a surprise if the Madrid No. 7 was risked for that encounter.