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| Cristiano Ronaldo to have late fitness test on Wednesday before Bayern tie | Cristiano Ronaldo to have late fitness test on Wednesday before Bayern tie |
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| Cristiano Ronaldo will undergo a fitness test on Wednesday morning to decide if he can take part in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich at the Bernabéu. | |
| The Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said he was "confident" that the competition's top scorer would be available but insisted that they will not take any risks with his fitness. Gareth Bale is doubtful after having suffered with a bout of flu. | |
| Ronaldo has missed the last four games, including the final of the Copa del Rey, through injury. The Portuguese had suffered a knee injury and then had hamstring problems. The club had been cautious about his prognosis, saying little publicly, and Ronaldo had also sought out a second opinion. He travelled with the team to the final, watched the game from the stands and joined his team-mates on the pitch afterwards. But he was walking slowly and very rigidly as he boarded the bus afterwards. He did, though, return to training this week. | Ronaldo has missed the last four games, including the final of the Copa del Rey, through injury. The Portuguese had suffered a knee injury and then had hamstring problems. The club had been cautious about his prognosis, saying little publicly, and Ronaldo had also sought out a second opinion. He travelled with the team to the final, watched the game from the stands and joined his team-mates on the pitch afterwards. But he was walking slowly and very rigidly as he boarded the bus afterwards. He did, though, return to training this week. |
| "Cristiano trained normally today and he had trained well for the previous few days," Ancelotti said. "Tomorrow we will have another test to be sure and then we will take a decision. He will play if everyone is sure that he can play without problems. We're confident, but we'll decide tomorrow. He has good sensations and we do too. Tomorrow we'll do a physical test, a speed test, and if there is a risk of a recurrence of [the injury] he won't play." | "Cristiano trained normally today and he had trained well for the previous few days," Ancelotti said. "Tomorrow we will have another test to be sure and then we will take a decision. He will play if everyone is sure that he can play without problems. We're confident, but we'll decide tomorrow. He has good sensations and we do too. Tomorrow we'll do a physical test, a speed test, and if there is a risk of a recurrence of [the injury] he won't play." |
| Pushed on the details of Ronaldo's recovery, which have been shrouded in a certain secrecy, Ancelotti responded: "Ronaldo had a consultation with doctors from the club, he started rehabilitation, and for three days now he has been training with the team. Before that, he trained on his own. These last two days he has trained normally. If there is a risk, he won't play. We have to think that this is a tie that will not be decided tomorrow. Maybe we'll can gain an advantage but the decisive game is next Tuesday." | Pushed on the details of Ronaldo's recovery, which have been shrouded in a certain secrecy, Ancelotti responded: "Ronaldo had a consultation with doctors from the club, he started rehabilitation, and for three days now he has been training with the team. Before that, he trained on his own. These last two days he has trained normally. If there is a risk, he won't play. We have to think that this is a tie that will not be decided tomorrow. Maybe we'll can gain an advantage but the decisive game is next Tuesday." |
| Ronaldo has provided four assists and scored 14 goals in eight Champions League appearances so far – he is a solitary goal off a new competition record, overtaking Lionel Messi's total of 14. He also has 28 league goals. "Ronaldo gives us great power to create chances and score goals," said the midfielder Xabi Alonso. "He is a fundamental player. We played well in the cup [without him], but tomorrow he's going to be very important for us." | |
| If Ronaldo does return, Ancelotti will have to leave out one of those players that helped win the cup final, with Isco the man most likely to miss out despite a superb performance at the Mestalla. "Taking someone out of that team to give space to Cristiano is not easy," Ancelotti conceded. "Isco showed that he can be very important, not just in attack but also in defence. But we have to think that the presence of Cristiano also gives us more options on the bench. Everyone in the squad knows that every minute could be decisive." | If Ronaldo does return, Ancelotti will have to leave out one of those players that helped win the cup final, with Isco the man most likely to miss out despite a superb performance at the Mestalla. "Taking someone out of that team to give space to Cristiano is not easy," Ancelotti conceded. "Isco showed that he can be very important, not just in attack but also in defence. But we have to think that the presence of Cristiano also gives us more options on the bench. Everyone in the squad knows that every minute could be decisive." |
| "I hope Ronaldo can play," Pep Guardiola commented. "We play this game for the people, the people want to see the best players and there's no doubt that Ronaldo is one of the best. If another player plays, like Isco, it may change [their game]. Isco plays more to feet, Ronaldo more into space; Isco gives you more continuity in the play, Ronaldo more goals. They usually play 4-3-3 but in the cup final there was a 4-4-2. | "I hope Ronaldo can play," Pep Guardiola commented. "We play this game for the people, the people want to see the best players and there's no doubt that Ronaldo is one of the best. If another player plays, like Isco, it may change [their game]. Isco plays more to feet, Ronaldo more into space; Isco gives you more continuity in the play, Ronaldo more goals. They usually play 4-3-3 but in the cup final there was a 4-4-2. |
| "If you let them play they can do you a lot of damage. Alonso and [Luka] Modric use the ball well, so does [Sergio] Ramos from further back. The two full-backs carry the ball up the pitch. [Karim] Benzema keeps the moves going, he gives you continuity. And I don't know how they do it but they always have players who run, run, run. Ronaldo, [Ángel] Di María, Bale. They are a team that kills you with pace." | "If you let them play they can do you a lot of damage. Alonso and [Luka] Modric use the ball well, so does [Sergio] Ramos from further back. The two full-backs carry the ball up the pitch. [Karim] Benzema keeps the moves going, he gives you continuity. And I don't know how they do it but they always have players who run, run, run. Ronaldo, [Ángel] Di María, Bale. They are a team that kills you with pace." |
| Guardiola added that he was proud of his team because despite winning everything last season, their desire remains intact and he insisted that their post-title win wobbles are now behind them. "Normally, when you win the title, your desire is a little bit lost, this zeal, this focus. That's why I am so proud of my team, because last year they won everything, absolutely everything, and [yet] they accepted my changes and they won the Bundesliga in March with seven games left, we're in the final of the cup and semi-finals of the Champions League. It's not easy: this is a big, big achievement for us. They have worked a lot. Even when we didn't play well we fought. | Guardiola added that he was proud of his team because despite winning everything last season, their desire remains intact and he insisted that their post-title win wobbles are now behind them. "Normally, when you win the title, your desire is a little bit lost, this zeal, this focus. That's why I am so proud of my team, because last year they won everything, absolutely everything, and [yet] they accepted my changes and they won the Bundesliga in March with seven games left, we're in the final of the cup and semi-finals of the Champions League. It's not easy: this is a big, big achievement for us. They have worked a lot. Even when we didn't play well we fought. |
| "We let in 13 goals in 27 games and after that seven goals in three games. After winning the league, our mentality was a little down, we played without any focus. We didn't have that something you need to compete but I was happy with the last game because we didn't play well but we recovered our spirit as a team, our mentality." | "We let in 13 goals in 27 games and after that seven goals in three games. After winning the league, our mentality was a little down, we played without any focus. We didn't have that something you need to compete but I was happy with the last game because we didn't play well but we recovered our spirit as a team, our mentality." |