Zidane says Real Madrid vs PSG tie is not a 'final' for him but names entire squad

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says that the upcoming Champions League last 16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain is not a "final" for him despite naming all 24 members of his first team squad in the roster for the first leg, as he did when Los Blancos were crowned European Cup winners twice during his tenure.

Last month, the France boss admitted that his future at the Santiago Bernabeu would rest on the two-leg tie with the Parisians following a disappointing first half of the season which sees Los Blancos trail Barcelona by 17 points in La Liga.

Real were also eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Leganes last month so winning the Champions League for the third consecutive time appears to be their only route to ending the season with more silverware.

But Zidane has tried to dampen the scrutiny on him ahead of the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"I'm not sure which side has the most pressure on them. We don't feel pressured, we are used to playing in such games. We want to experience a good match and people come out to see a spectacle. It is not a final for me. It is a Champions League game. What we have to do is play well and if we do that the sky is the limit," Zidane said in the press conference.

"I'm happy to be involved in such games. I don't think there is any real pressure at the moment. We have prepared just as we always do and it's true that pressure will always be there in the background. That's normal, I'm going to enjoy this.

"I'm not thinking about my future, I'm just focussed on tomorrow's game. That is what I'm concentrating on. We are going to try and put in a good shift, and do our job well. All of the training session, all of the games, they play a role for us and my future is not the key thing here".

Zidane is well aware of the importance of the game and has included the likes of Dani Cavajal and Jesus Vallejo in the squad despite the pair being unavailable due to suspension and injury.

The French generally names 18 or 19 players for matches, but having used this formula with success in the last two European finals against Atletico and Juventus he has named a full squad to show team unity.

The absence of Carvajal is a setback for Zidane but the versatile Nacho is ready to cover and the Real boss will still have plenty of options elsewhere in his team.

The big dilemma is whether he will deploy a 4-3-3 formation with the BBC - Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema - in the attack or if he returns to the 4-4-2 system which helped to beat Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff last May.

Should Zidane retreat to the latter, then Bale or Benzema will be dropped to make space for an extra midfield such as Isco, Marco Asensio or the in-form Lucas Vazquez.

"What I want is for my team to be focussed on the game. We'll see tomorrow. The system isn't really important, it's what we do out there on the pitch that counts. What I can tell you is that the way we set up isn't the key. My concern is what my players go out there and do," the Real boss said when asked about his starting line-up plans.

"We're focussing first and foremost on the game tomorrow. We know it will be a 180-minute affair, maybe more, but the first challenge comes tomorrow and that's that. It will be a 50/50 tie. Both teams have a good chance of getting through,"

"We just want out fans to be proud of us. We're going to give our all and the fans will be behind us, just as they always are, even when the going gets tough. Tomorrow is another competition to focus on and we'll give absolutely everything."