Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly undergo stem cell therapy in an attempt to recover from injury for his side’s Champions League clash against Manchester City next week.
The two sides played out a goalless draw at the Etihad on Tuesday night, leaving the tie finely posed ahead of the second leg in the Spanish capital next Wednesday.
Having aggravated the problem in training on Monday, The Sun report that he has returned to Madrid and will receive a round of treatment to repair the damage.
The Portuguese international initially suffered the problem in last week’s win over Villarreal, with Real believing it to be merely cramp.
However, further tests and scans showed that he had sustained a slight tear, which in turn will likely see him miss his side’s crucial La Liga clash with Real Sociedad this weekend.
Whether or not he recovers in time to face City remains to be seen, but he is evidently keen on doing so after agreeing to undergo the therapy.
The treatment is said to be similar to that tennis star Rafael Nadal has used on his reoccurring knee problems, where a sample of healthy blood cells or bone marrow is injected into the problem area to help speed up the recovery.
Given the fact that Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in the Champions League already this season, combined with the fact that his side looked as though they lacked a cutting edge in the final third in his absence on Tuesday, he will be desperate to get back on the pitch as soon as possible.
The initial suggestions are not positive from a Real perspective, as Manuel Pellegrini will also anxiously await updates to discover whether or not he will have to plot a way of shutting out the 31-year-old next week.