Benitez hopeful on Ramos and Danilo recoveries

Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez will assess captain Sergio Ramos and full-back Danilo ahead of Saturday’s La Liga clash with Levante.

Ramos missed Spain’s concluding Euro 2016 qualifiers due to a recurrence of a shoulder problem, although he returned to training with Madrid this week.

Full-back Danilo has been sidelined since suffering a foot injury on international duty with Brazil in September but Benitez refused to rule out either man as his side aim to bounce back from consecutive La Liga draws.

“There are players that are better,” Benitez said on Friday.

“Danilo is one of them. I have to speak with Sergio Ramos. The match-day squad is not closed.”

Luka Modric was added to Real’s injury list after sustaining an adductor injury while away with Croatia and Benitez, who has also been without James Rodriguez since the playmaker picked up a thigh injury with Colombia, claimed that the majority of injuries endured at the club this year have not been under his watch.

“57 per cent of the muscle injuries have been with the national teams,” he said.

“My relationship with the medical department is excellent. They are doing a good job.”

Since Real were pegged back to a 1-1 draw in the Madrid derby at Atletico before the international break, Benitez has been forced to refute suggestions of dressing room unrest and he maintained that there is a united front at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The atmosphere in the squad is good,” the former Liverpool boss added. “There are no problems.

“The players know that we have to be united to win.”