Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is still waiting on the fitness of midfield duo Luka Modric and Toni Kroos as he switched his attention to Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain after seeing off Getafe.
Modric and Kroos were absent again through injury as Madrid defeated 10-man Getafe at the Bernabeu thanks to a brace of goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and another from Gareth Bale.
The derby victory saw Madrid bounce back from their shock midweek defeat to Espanyol and Zidane admits it was crucial they picked up the three points ahead of their trip to Paris.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is still waiting on the fitness of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos
He told a press conference: ‘Before a second-leg game like Tuesday it was very important to have three days in a good mood.
‘When you lose it’s tough. It was very important to win. We played a very serious game.’
Madrid welcomed back Marcelo as a second-half substitute against Getafe following injury, but it remains to be seen if key duo Modric and Kroos will be able to face PSG, when Zidane’s holders will defend a 3-1 lead as they seek a quarter-final place.
The midfield duo missed Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Getafe but could feature against PSG
Zidane said: ‘They still haven’t trained with us, we’ll have to see if they do tomorrow.
‘I will never rue having players absent. They are important players but we have to look to Tuesday’s game. If they can’t be with us, then someone else will play.
‘We have two days to see how Luka and Toni will be.’
Madrid’s win over Getafe saw them move to within seven points of second-placed Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, with their neighbours taking on leaders Barcelona on Sunday.
Bale’s strike put Madrid on their way but it was Ronaldo who again took centre-stage with a brace, with his first seeing him reach 300 LaLiga goals in only his 286th game.
The Portugal star, who has now scored 14 goals in his last eight appearances, was replaced late on and looked to be holding an ice pack over his calf as he sat on the bench.
Madrid welcomed back Marcelo as a second-half substitute against Getafe following injury
Zidane, however, said: ‘He’s going to be in Paris and I’m very happy because he is going through a very good moment. You need to take advantage.’
Los Blancos captain Sergio Ramos added of the PSG game on his club’s website: ‘We already know what the Champions League means to us.
‘We played a good game in the first leg and now we are going to Paris to try to play with the same seriousness.
‘We know it’s going to be complicated, but that is our goal.
‘We expect to face a very tough team in front of us and we will have to have the maximum concentration, play like we did here at home and will try to use our weapons to get through.’
Cristiano Ronaldo bagged himself a brace against Getafe on Saturday as Real won 3-1
Getafe coach Jose Bordalas, meanwhile, accepted his team had little answer to the man of the moment.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo can win you a game by himself. He is a great player who makes goals with ease,’ Bordalas said at a press conference.
‘We knew Real Madrid were going to get the best and so it has turned out.
‘We were not at our usual level defensively and have paid a very expensive price.’