Saturday 21 November 2015 16:34, UK
Gareth Bale says he is fit and "ready for the battle" ahead of Real Madrid's showdown with Barcelona on Saturday.
Bale has been struggling with a calf problem since October; a recurrence of an injury which had sidelined him earlier in the season for nearly three weeks.
The Wales international has played in just seven of 15 matches for Madrid this season due to the ongoing problem, which saw him miss his country's friendly with the Netherlands last week.
But Bale says he is now fit and looking forward to Saturday's tussle - live on Sky Sports.
"I've been out with injuries for maybe six weeks now, so I haven't played as much as I would have liked," he told Real Madrid's official website.
"But I feel strong and fit going into this game. I am ready for the battle."
One of Bale's best moments for Real since his world record transfer from Tottenham in 2013 came against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in 2014, with a spectacular solo goal handing Madrid a 2-1 victory.
And he admitted the pressure of El Clasico is different to any other game in Spain.
"The Clasico is special because we're the two biggest clubs in Spain. The rivalry is immense. We are always battling for titles and trophies, and that adds to the pressure on the pitch which makes the game so exciting and so big.
"I'm sure you'll see a very attacking game from both teams and a lot of goals. It's always a difficult game, but hopefully we can score more goals than them."
Real have lost only once in the league this season and will join Barcelona at the top of the table if they win in front of their home fans on Saturday.
"I still think we have a few gears to go up. We can perform better and play better, and hopefully that leads us to winning the league.
"I want to keep trying hard and working hard for the team, and hopefully we will get those wins."
Watch El Clasico live on Sky Sports 2 from 5pm on Saturday.
