Ronaldo hopes to play in ´clasico´

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo said Thursday he was recovering well from his ankle injury and hopes to play in the “clasico” match at Barcelona on November 29.

“Everything is going very well, I have started running again and I think I will start training with the team next week,” the Portuguese winger told Spanish media at a ceremony at Real’s Bernebeu stadium.

“Of course, I want to play against Barcelona, but I want to play again before then,” including against Zurich in the Champions League on November 25.

Ronaldo injured his right ankle in Real’s 3-0 Champions League victory over Marseille at the end of September and aggravated the problem while playing for Portugal on October 10.

On Tuesday he was ruled out of his country’s crucial World Cup play-off matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina on November 14 and 18 after undergoing medical tests on the injury in Lisbon.

Both Portugal – World Cup semi-finalists in 2006 – and Real had been locked in a battle over Ronaldo with the club insisting that he was not fit enough to travel.

Ronaldo, bought from Manchester United last summer for a world record 94 million euros, is the top scorer in the Primera Liga with five goals and in the Champions League with four.

Spanish media have reported that Real coach Manuel Pellegrini’s job is in jeopardy after the team was eliminated from the Spanish Cup by third division minnows Alcorcon.