Cristiano Ronaldo’s thigh muscle injury has kept him out of action from the last two games. Real Madrid face Real Sociedad on Saturday in the La Liga and his thigh muscle injury is expected to keep him out of the crucial La Liga clash.
Many teams would have been happy that the Portuguese superstar would not be playing against them, but Real Sociedad left-back Yuri Berchiche does not believe Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence will benefit his side.
"Not coming up against Ronaldo has its good and bad sides," he told Marca. but the team becomes more competitive in the sense that everyone defends much better.
"Without him they are stronger when defending as a block and they leave less space.
"With Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, they stay more up the field, adding very little to Real Madrid."
Madrid will be looking to keep pace in the La Liga race and nothing other than a win will keep them in the title hunt.
Cristiano Ronaldo would have played against Manchester City if it was the final
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo admitted that he'd be willing to aggravate his injury if the game they were playing was the final of the UEFA Champions League. His teammates took on English giants Manchester City at the Etihad on Tuesday night and drew the game 0-
The Portuguese winger was in contention for a starting spot but failed to pass a late fitness test while kept him sidelined for the game on Tuesday night. Zinedine Zidane and his coaching staff were not taking any chances as they named Spanish winger Lucas Vasquez as Ronaldo's replacement in the starting lineup.
It is believed that Ronaldo is suffering from a mild hamstring tear, according to AS, and that there's a chance he could miss out on the return leg which is to be held at the Bernabeu. Speaking to reporters just before the game, the Portuguese captain said, “The strain is still there. I'll wait for the next game. If it was a final, I'd give it a try.”
Former Real Madrid star, Emilio Butragueño, confirmed the injury and shed more light on Ronaldo's situation by saying, "It's a shame that he hasn't been able to shake off the knock. It's been decided he won't play but we are fielding an excellent side.
"There are two legs so we're going to be prudent. The decision has been taken and I hope it all works out well.”
Ronaldo will be hoping to feature in the second leg against Manchester City at the Bernabeu.
