Real Madrid have received a terrible blow with news that Cristiano Ronaldo has suffered a setback in recovering from his hamstring injury.
“After Cristiano Ronaldo underwent tests, a muscular injury to his left hamstring has been detected,” confirmed a club statement reported by the Guardian.
The Portugal superstar missed the second leg of his club’s UEFA Champions League quarter final against Borussia Dortmund, and it almost proved costly – with los Meringues losing 2-0 at Signal Iduna Park and narrowly progressing 3-2 on aggregate.
Ronaldo has scored 42 times and provided eight assists in 35 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League, and is the top scorer in both competitions.
That productivity alone means he will prove a great loss to the team, and with the Copa Del Rey final another El Clasico match against arch FC Barcelona this weekend, the timing could hardly be worse for Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.
There will now be additional pressure on Gareth Bale to perform in the big games to justify his world record price tag.