Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos return for final Real Madrid friendly

Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos have returned to the Real Madrid squad for their final preseason game in Tuesday night's XXXVI Santiago Bernabeu Trophy clash with Galatasaray.

Ronaldo missed Madrid's last three friendlies against Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Valerenga due to a back complaint, while Ramos did not make the trip to Norway due to a "niggle," but the club reported last week that the pair were closing in on returns.

Both players have since returned to full training with their teammates and are set to feature against Galatasaray, but Karim Benzema, Pepe and Raphael Varane all remained sidelined just five days ahead of Madrid's La Liga opener at Sporting Gijon on Sunday evening.

The 21-man squad named for the summer's last preparation game gives some pointers into new coach Rafa Benitez's thinking, with backup widemen Lucas Vazquez and Denis Cheryshev included but no place for youngsters Martin Odegaard and Marco Asensio.

Odegaard and Asensio may now go out on loan for the 2015-16 campaign with AS reporting that Real Betis, Espanyol and Villarreal are among the clubs interested in Spain under-19 star Asensio, who impressed in Madrid's preseason games against Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

The squad was announced in a club statement released on Madrid's official website.

"Rafa Benitez has called up 21 players for the 36th edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy that the Whites play tonight against Galatasaray (10.30 p.m. CEST)," the statement read.

REAL MADRID SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla and Ruben Yanez

Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Arbeloa and Danilo

Midfielders: Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Denis Cheryshev, Isco and Asier Illarramendi

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lucas Vazquez, Jese and Borja Mayoral

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