Cristiano Ronaldo likely to start against Bayern Munich in UEFA Champions League 1st leg semi-final

Cristiano Ronaldo will make a return from injury to face Bayern Munich in a crucial first leg clash

Madrid, April 23 (IANS) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he is expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against reigning champions Bayern Munich in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium Wednesday night.

Ronaldo has struggled with a knee and hamstring problem since the first leg of the quarterfinal but Tuesday saw him complete his third full training session to give the coach hope of his return, reports Xinhua.

“Cristiano trained as normal today and has trained well these last days. We have another test with him tomorrow but it’s clear that he’ll play if everyone is sure that he can play without any problems,” said the coach.

“He has had an injury and has had treatment. He has consulted the club doctors and undergone rehabilitation. Now he has been training for three days and has trained with the group for the last two days. He feels good. We feel positive and tomorrow he’ll have a test.”

However, Ancelotti would not say he was 100 percent convinced Ronaldo would start.

“If there is a risk of a recurrence, he won’t play. This is a tie that won’t be decided tomorrow. We might gain an advantage in the home leg but the decisive match is next Tuesday,” he said.

Ancelotti confirmed that Gareth Bale would play after recovering from a dose of flu adding that Real Madrid needed to be compact in defence in order to reach the final.