Ramos and Alba fit for El Clasico starts

Sergio Ramos returned to captain Real Madrid and Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba was passed fit for Saturday’s Clasico showdown at Camp Nou. 

Ramos missed a stunning 3-2 midweek Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk after suffering a knee injury in the shock loss to Cadiz, but the captain was picked to start at the heart of the Madrid defence against Ronald Koeman’s side. 

Under-pressure head coach Zinedine Zidane restored Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior and Nacho Fernandez to the starting line-up, with Luka Modric among those dropped to the bench. 

Barca welcomed Alba back from a hamstring problem, while Pedri came into the side and Sergio Busquets started after being on the bench for the hammering of Ferencvaros. 

France forward Antoine Griezmann was once again named among the substitutes by Koeman, who was overseeing his first Clasico since his appointment in August. 

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— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 24, 2020

Madrid are unbeaten in their past two Clasicos in LaLiga, keeping a clean sheet on both occasions, with Barca having only failed to score in three in a row once – between 1957 and 1958. 

Our #ElClásico starting XI!#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/xDJwDuNPwz

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) October 24, 2020