Real Madrid’s preparations for the Club World Cup final have been boosted by the return of James Rodriguez to first team training.
The Colombian star has been missing for the last 10 days after injuring his calf in Los Blancos’ win over Celta Vigo in La Liga. He sat out the 4-0 win over Cruz Azul in the semi final in Marrakech, with Isco once again stepping up to the plate with another good performance capped by a goal.
But Carlo Ancelotti now has a selection headache after the 22-year-old former Monaco playmaker returned to training with the first team. Sami Khedira and Jese Rodriguez also trained on Wednesday, meaning the manager has an almost full squad to choose from as he plots to win Real’s fourth trophy of the calendar year.
The only big name absentee is Luka Modric, who isn’t expected to return until late February or early March.
Sergio Ramos, who came off with what appeared to be a thigh problem on Tuesday is also expected to be fit for the final. Ancelotti told reporters the defender is fine and was only suffering fatigue against Cruz Azul.
“It’s just fatigue. He should be ok in couple of days and be available for the final,” the boss said.
The Madrid boss also laughed off concerns that superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo looked below his best in Tuesday’s victory over the Mexican side.
