Sergio Ramos trained alone but is expected for Shakhtar clash

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos trained alone in the gym on Sunday but is expected to be fit for Tuesday’s Champions League group stage opener against Shakhtar.

Real Madrid returned to action less than 24 hours after their thrilling 0-6 win over Espanyol in Cornella, but were missing their centre-back Sergio Ramos, who trained in the gym, where James Rodriguez and Danilo continued their recovery.

Ramos felt discomfort following the Espanyol win but is fully expected to train normally on Monday and be fully fit to host the Ukrainian side on Tuesday, who are coming into the Santiago Bernabeu with a massive confidence boost following their 0-5 win over Metalist this past weekend.

The starters from Saturday’s match did light recovery work while the remainder of the squad underwent a rigorous and exhausting high-intensity workout to prepare for their Champions League match.

Real Madrid Castilla reserve players Francisco Pérez Ganfornina and Aleix Febas joined the squad for Sunday’s session but will not be part of Rafa Benitez’s first Champions League squad as the Real Madrid coach, which he will announce in his pre-match press conference on Monday.