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          OnScene: ESPN FC's updates from Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

          • ESPN staffDec 19, 2017, 10:30 AM

          ESPN FC is "OnScene" at the world's biggest club football game: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, which kicks off on Dec. 23 at 12 p.m. GMT / 7 a.m. ET.

          Barcelona go into this weekend's Clasico with a six-point lead at the top of the La Liga and an 11 point lead over Madrid, albeit having played a game more... But a Madrid win (after their success at the Club World Cup) would open up the title race again.

          Here's all the latest buildup from the ESPN team and our correspondents Sam Marsden (Barcelona) and Dermot Corrigan (Real Madrid).

          SATURDAY, Dec. 23

          Messi getting into gear

          Calm before the storm?

          No surprises for Barcelona.

          There are no surprises in Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona side which is perhaps a surprise in itself. A surprise because it means starts for Thomas Vermaelen and Paulinho in a 4-4-2 formation. Who would have expected that in the summer?

          Despite joining the club in 2014, this is Vermaelen's first Clasico and he's making his seventh consecutive appearance for Barca. He has benefited from injuries to Samuel Umtiti and Javier Mascherano, but even with the latter back, he has kept his place.

          As for Paulinho, he's been shutting mouths all season. The Brazilian has scored six goals in the league this season and is the one midfielder on Valverde's side willing to get forward and gamble in the area.

          Other than those two, Barca will be looking to the usual suspects to see off Madrid. Marc-Andre ter Stegen's been brilliant in goal this season, Jordi Alba's re-born at left back and Lionel Messi's the top scorer in La Liga. Even Luis Suarez, with six goals in his last five league games, has found his form.

          Ronaldo starts!

          Despite fears over his fitness, Cristiano Ronaldo starts for Real Madrid. Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane sprung a surprise by naming midfielder Mateo Kovacic in his XI, with playmaker Isco dropping to the bench. Gareth Bale is also among the substitutes.

          Zidane presumably recalled the excellent man-marking job that tactically clever midfielder Kovacic did on Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi during August's Supercopa Clasicos, and also how Messi scored a late winner in the last La Liga Clasico at the Bernabeu last April.

          Game day

          FRIDAY, Dec. 22

          Real Madrid announce their matchday squad

          Madrid have announced their match squad for Saturday's Clasico with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale included after Zinedine Zidane said earlier today that both were "100 percent" fit and available to start. With a full squad to choose from, the Blancos coach has no room for youngsters Dani Ceballos, Borja Mayoral, Jesus Vallejo, Achraf Hakimi or Marcos Llorente.

          Ronaldo doesn't look like he's worried he won't be fit for the biggest game of the season

          No chances being taken

          There will be 1700 police and security staff watching over the Clasico on Saturday. The Santiago Bernabeu will be crammed to its 81,044 capacity, but a very small percentage of that crowd will be Barcelona fans. Therefore, the large security presence is not down to fears surrounding the current political climate in Spain spilling into the game after pro-independence parties won a majority in Catalonia's regional elections on Thursday. Instead, it's the grandeur of the occasion which has led to the increased police presence. With the eyes of the world watching, no risks will be taken to ensure all anti-terrorism regulations are complied with.

          No Dembele for Barca

          Matchday squad: Ter Stegen, Cillessen; Semedo, Roberto, Pique, Vermaelen, Mascherano, Alba, Digne; Busquets, Rakitic, Denis Suarez, Iniesta, Paulinho, Gomes, Vidal; Messi, Suarez

          Barcelona's prematch prep hit by early kick-off

          Kicking off early has meant a number of changes for Barcelona this weekend. As well as travelling the night before the game -- they prefer to travel the day of the game if possible -- the players are also going to have to change their eating habits on Saturday morning. There will be no cereal, croissants or toast when they wake up at the Hotel Eurostars Madrid Tower, instead they will breakfast on pasta, rice and meat... but no red meat.

          The world will be watching

          The Clasico transcends Spain. It is a global event these days. Officials said an estimated 650 million people in 180 countries watched the last league encounter in April when Lionel Messi scored a stoppage time winner and more of the same is expected on Saturday. Mundo Deportivo report, in fact, that only four countries will not have the Clasico available on some form of television channel. Those four countries are Mongolia, North Korea, Malta and Papua New Guinea.

          Barcelona have 1,283 supporters clubs around the world: 456 in Catalonia, 700 elsewhere in Spain and 127 in the rest of the world. A number of them will organise special events in their countries to take in the Clasico. A supporters club in Casablanca has set up, along with a Madrid group from the same city, the first edition of the Trofeo de la Amistad (Friendship Trophy), a charity event that will take place in the Sidi Othmane orphanage in the Moroccan city. Elsewhere, Barcelona Cairo Fans say more than 500 fans will watch the game on a giant screen installed in a cafe in the centre of the Egyptian capital. And at The Camel, a popular bar in Shanghai, the Pena Anima Blaugrana will hold a special Clasico viewing, with Barca giveaways thanks to support club sponsor Beko.

          Ronaldo back in full training

          Ronaldo rejoined his Real Madrid teammates in training on Friday, the day before Saturday's Clasico against La Liga leaders Barcelona.

          The 32-year-old had been working separately all week following Madrid's FIFA Club World Cup final victory last weekend, after which the reigning Ballon d'Or holder had complained about a calf problem.

          However, 24 hours ahead of the game at the Bernabeu, Ronaldo was back out on the pitch with this colleagues during the 15 minutes open to the media as they warmed up before Zidane put the players through their paces ahead of their final game of 2017.

          Football, politics and art collide

          The new edition of independent Spanish football magazine Libero links the Clasico and the Catalan independence push in glorious fashion.

          'Cristiano in cotton wool'

          Madrid fans woke up this Clasico-eve to a worrying AS cover saying "Cristiano in cotton wool -- the kick from Geromel has stopped him training with the group all week."

          Although the club have not confirmed any injury, Ronaldo appears to still be feeling the effects of kick to the calf by the Gremio captain early in last weekend's Club World Cup final, and could only manage some light fitness work at Thursday's session at Valdebebas.

          There'll be more news on Ronaldo's fitness when Madrid begin training at 11 a.m. local time on Friday, and then when Zidane faces the press [including ESPN FC] about two hours later.

          Marca are more confident that Ronaldo, 32, will overcome the problem to start against Barcelona on Saturday at the Bernabeu.

          Their cover also reminds Blancos fans that Zinedine Zidane's side's record in big games through recent years has been very good.

          The biggest news from Spain's very popular and influential radio shows last night came on Cope's "El Partidazo," which had a report that Ronaldo was also suffering from a hamstring issue, although it was made clear that even if at less than 100 percent there was no way he would not start on Saturday.

          Some sceptics have wondered whether all the fitness rumours are perhaps PR spin in to prepare the ground if Ronaldo does not have his best game on Saturday, with the player himself maintaining when talking after last weekend's final that he expected to start against Barca despite the problem.

          La Liga ambassadors to spread across the globe

          As always the La Liga hierarchy and marketing team have been working hard this week to use the Clasico fixture to promote Spanish football in general worldwide.

          A new set of official 'LaLiga ambassadors' were presented on Thursday night in Madrid, with Steve McManaman, Robert Pires and Diego Forlan joining an impressive squad which already included Carles Puyol, Eric Abidal, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gaizka Mendieta, Christian Karembeu, Luis Garcia, Fernando Morientes and Frederic Kanoute.

          These former stars will be hosting Clasico events in Shanghai, Delhi, Jakarta, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul and Nairobi, with ex-Madrid defender and La Liga's head of international sports projects Fernando Sanz having explained to ESPNFC earlier this year the strategy behind it all.

          The big boss will be in town

          UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin will be among the 81,000 crowd at the Bernabeu on Saturday lunchtime, with the Slovenian apparently also joining Madrid president Florentino Perez and Barcelona chief Josep Maria Bartomeu for the pre-game meal.

          Cadena Ser in Catalonia have the report, picked up by Mundo Deportivo. Ceferin is reportedly a Madrid fan, with Ronaldo as his favourite player, although he will probably keep that to himself during chat between courses.

          THURSDAY, Dec. 21

          Ronaldo misses full training for third day

          Cristiano Ronaldo was again unable to take part in full Real Madrid training on Thursday morning. The forward also missed Tuesday and Wednesday's training sessions with his teammates and, although Real Madrid have not issued any specific update on the calf problem or any other potential injury, he was again unable to even work with the football today.

          "The team have trained at Real Madrid City in continued preparation for the La Liga showdown with Barcelona, to be played at the Santiago Bernabeu this Saturday (1:00pm CET)," a club statement released afterwards said. "Ball work took centre stage in a session which saw Zidane involve Under-19s goalkeeper Moha. Cristiano Ronaldo trained alone out on the pitch, both with and without the ball, whilst Luca [Zidane] continued his recovery process."

          Barca's latest training update is less dramatic

          Barcelona goes to the polls

          Barcelona are preparing for the Clasico but it's a big day in the city for other reasons. After October's unilateral referendum on independence, Spain's central government called regional Catalan elections for today. Among those expected to vote is Gerard Pique, who has called for the final result - whether it's a pro-independence, pro-referendum or pro-unity party that wins -- to be respected. "It's a very important day in the history of Catalonia," he wrote on Twitter. "The future is in our hands. We have the power with our votes. I'll add one thing: the final result will be the will of the Catalan people. Respect it." Once the results are in, thoughts can turn to Saturday's trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.

          Late changes to Barca travel plans

          Barca look to Ronaldinho for inspiration

          One of Barcelona's best Bernabeu memories came over a decade ago now, in the 2005-06 season. It came at the height of the Frank Rijkaard era and featured a stunning performance from Ronaldinho. So good was the Brazilian on the day in the 3-0 win, scoring two of the goals, that even the Madrid supporters applauded him. Ronaldinho's throne has now been taken by Lionel Messi and he's had plenty of good moments in the Spanish capital, too. Will he provide another one on Saturday?

          Player-cams for Ronaldo and Messi

          Providing he makes it, Cristiano Ronaldo will be tracked with a dedicated player camera on Saturday, along with great rival Lionel Messi. A La Liga statement read: "Two cameras will get up-close and personal with the Portuguese striker and the Argentine forward, allowing supporters to feast their eyes on every last move made by the global stars.

          "The same applies to the two men in the dugouts, with a pair of cameras set to be trained on Zinedine Zidane and Ernesto Valverde right from the first whistle. In an effort to make television viewers feel as if they were lapping up the action from a seat in the stands, the Bernabeu is also to be equipped with a virtual Be The Player camera, which features Intel's 360° technology and represents a first for a La Liga broadcast. This camera captures events from the player's perspective, offering spectators the same view of the match as their heroes."

          Ronaldo and Messi's personal rivalry

          Marca's cover Thursday morning played up the Ronaldo vs. Messi rivalry with the headline: "Level on 53 goals - Cristiano and Messi have the same goals in 2017. Their goal-scoring influence in Madrid and Barca victories is almost identical."

          Inside the story detailed how their teams both win 75 percent of games when their main man plays, while Madrid winning 89.5 percent of their games when Ronaldo scores, to Barca's 88.9 percent victories when Messi scores.

          The next generation

          Future Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior is in the Spanish capital this week to visit the club's facilities and take in Saturday's Clasico, although the teenager -- still playing at Brazilian club Flamengo -- apparently removed a photo from Instagram which showed him en route on Wednesday.

          WEDNESDAY, Dec. 20

          Could Ronaldo miss El Clasico?

          Real Madrid's main man has a problem, with Saturday's big game inching closer. Dermot has the latest here.

          Barcelona injury news

          Here's our man Sam with the latest ...

          BIG UPDATE and a potential blow for Real Madrid

          Marco Asensio getting in the mood for the game

          Rewind to 2007 and the Clasico where Lionel Messi announced himself on the grand stage. Sam takes a look at the Barcelona legend's hat trick in a thrilling clash as the Camp Nou.

          To kick off your day, watch the ESPN FC Extra Time crew discuss the Clasico and what it may hold for Gareth Bale. Plus there's Antoine Griezmann chat in there too.

          TUESDAY, Dec. 19

          Barcelona and Real Madrid both have issues to fix

          Ousmane Dembele is back in training after he was ruled out for four months, but he won't be fit in time for Clasico. Here are five issues for Barcelona.

          Real Madrid HAVE to win, while the future of Cristiano Ronaldo is up for debate. Here are five issues for Real Madrid.

          WATCH: Messi wants a 'happy Christmas'

          Barcelona clean up at awards

          No guard of honour

          Barcelona director of institutional relations Guillermo Amor says the club will not be giving a guard of honour to Club World Cup winners Real Madrid before Saturday's La Liga Clasico at the Bernabeu.