Madrid, Dec 7 (IANS) Real Madrid Brazilian midfielder Casemiro on Friday began to work out on the pitch as he continues to recover from a sprained ankle that has kept him on the sidelines for nearly a month, the La Liga club announced.

Having hurt his ankle in Real Madrid's 4-2 La Liga win over Celta Vigo on November 11, Casemiro seems likely to recover in time for Los Blancos' final matches of the year, including the FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled for December 12-22 in the United Arab Emirates, reports Efe news.

Spanish Defender Nacho Fernandez, meanwhile, continued to work at the club facilities to recover from a right knee injury he sustained in the November 11 match.

Coach Santiago Solari started to prepare for his side's Sunday La Liga clash against Huesca after routing Melilla 6-1 Thursday in the second leg of the Spanish Cup round of 32 to advance to the last-16.

During Thursday's match, Spanish forward Mariano was forced to the sidelines during the final minutes due to an injury.

Mariano worked out inside the Madrid facilities, as did German midfielder Toni Kroos and left-back Sergio Reguilon; both players missed Thursday's game.

--IANS tri/sed