Cristiano Ronaldo Ruled Out Of Champions League Clash With Spurs

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to miss the first leg of Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal tie against Tottenham Hotspur with a thigh injury. Ronaldo had been battling the thigh injury for two weeks and initially looked like he may be fit for the match, but he, along with Marcelo and Karim Benzema, will all miss out on the clash at the Bernabeu.

The latest injury update came from Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who said that all three will not return until the La Liga fixture after Wednesday’s Champions League match. “Medical staff have told me that Ronaldo, Marcelo and [Karim] Benzema can only play in Bilbao,” Mourinho said.

If Ronaldo is able to return in two weeks, the front end of the estimated recovery time, he would be available a few days before the April 5 first leg that Madrid will host. If Ronaldo cannot return until the back end of the estimated recovery time of three weeks, he would not be fit to play against Spurs, but Madrid manager Jose Mourinho thinks Ronaldo will be fit for the match.

“With his mentality we think he’ll make it [the Spurs match], but it’ll be tight,” Mourinho said.