Cristiano Ronaldo proved Zinedine Zidane was correct to pronounce him 100 per cent ready for the Champions League final with a sharp-looking display in Real Madrid's training session on Friday.
In a media conference an hour earlier, Zidane's first question had been on the fitness of his superstar forward, who left training early on Tuesday with a minor thigh problem.
Zidane insisted the Portugal international was perfectly fine for Saturday's meeting with Atletico Madrid at San Siro and his subsequent showing in training provided little evidence to the contrary.
At the start of an otherwise relatively light session lasting less than 45 minutes, Madrid undertook some high-intensity warm-up exercises, including short sprints that will have tested the 31-year-old's thigh.
A 10-a-side game on a small pitch followed and Ronaldo showed an early glimpse of his normal self with a shot from 40 yards that flew wide.
He was unerring with a powerful back-post header soon afterwards, though, and a rifled attempt that whistled over brought a customary hands-on-hips pose – frustrated with his own inaccuracy, even in training.
The session ended with a finishing drill, Ronaldo putting one away before retreating to practice his free-kicks.
None of the half a dozen he attempted were successful, but Madrid fans need not be worried. Ronaldo looks ready.
