Messi And Ronaldo Benched

An injury cloud has been hanging over three of the key protagonists of El Clasico, but their fate now seems clearer. A report in AS claims to have learned that Barca are ready to risk Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the start, but Lionel Messi will start from the bench. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo will also be a second half substitute, despite having been in full training for a week. This means that Karim Benzema is likely to partner Gonzalo Higuain up front. However, these reports are not final, as both camps have stated that their final decision will be made just before the match.