Ronaldo will play through pain in final, admits Zizou

ZINEDINE ZIDANE has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo is 100 per cent fit for the Champions League final but admitted the Portuguese may need to go through pain to complete the game. The Real Madrid head coach issued a contradictory medical update but made it clear Ronaldo will start the eagerly anticipated clash with city rivals Atletico and is expected to finish the match. Ronaldo suffered an injury scare on Tuesday when he collided with Kiko Casilla in training and was forced off nursing his thigh. But a dead leg was the extent of the problem and Ronaldo took full part in a training session at the San Siro last night. Zidane made a similar claim on the eve of Real’s semi-final match against Manchester City at the Etihad in April, only for Ronaldo to pull out with a hamstring complaint. But the Frenchman insisted last night: ‘It’s not the same thing. He was feeling a bit of pain but now he is 100 per cent, and on top of that he is playing a final. ‘When you are playing a final if you are feeling any sort of pain you sort of forget it. He was feeling a bit of pain but it is nothing and tomorrow he will be there 100 per cent.’ Sergio Ramos, who scored the equaliser in the third minute of injury time to prompt an extratime win when the two sides met in the final two years ago, said Real would give everything for a repeat result. ‘We have had to suffer a lot to reach the final and we are one step away from the top. We are going to leave our skin on the pitch to achieve that victory.’ ITALIAN tenor Andrea Bocelli and pop star Alicia Keys will be the pre-match entertainment, with Bocelli performing the UEFA Champions League anthem as the two teams line up before kick-off.