Cristiano Ronaldo Skips Training, Will Miss Eibar Match Due to Injury

Cristiano Ronaldo missed training ahead of the Eibar match and will not travel with the team. How will this affect Real Madrid?

Marca have reported that Cristiano Ronaldo sat out Real Madrid’s training session ahead of their match against Eibar tomorrow. Manager Zinedine Zidane confirmed that Ronaldo is struggling with a recurring injury issue, and that, although all of Madrid’s matches are important, his priority is to keep his players healthy for the remainder of the season.

As a result, Ronaldo will join Gareth Bale and Alvaro Morata on the list of players left out of the squad’s trip to the Basque country. Bale is suspended for two matches following his (incredibly stupid) red card from the Las Palmas match.  Morata is suspended following an accumulation of yellow cards.

This could be very bad news for Real Madrid. After losing to Valencia, mounting a dramatic comeback against Villarreal, and drawing against Las Palmas, Real Madrid are in dire need to right their shaking ship and restore some confidence heading into the business end of the season.

Real Madrid will need their bench to step up big-time in this match. Madrid’s main attacking firepower is missing, which means the likes of  James, Isco, Vazquez, and Asensio will be required to find the back of the net for Los Blancos. Additionally, with Morata out of the picture, Karim Benzema will have a chance to prove that he deserves his place in the starting lineup ahead of the Spanish upstart.

Hopefully Cristiano Ronaldo gets some well needed rest. He similarly was forced to sit out of training before the Napoli match, but then put in an extraordinary performance against the Italian side.

While Madrid fans will be worried about Ronaldo’s absence, it is good to see that Ronaldo and Zidane are taking his health seriously. In previous seasons, Ronaldo has tried to play every minute of every match.

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Ronaldo’s competitive drive pushes him to drive up his statistics, seeking measurable metrics that can help him in his quest for Golden Boots and Golden Balls. However, this has come at a cost when it comes to the end of season.  Ronaldo’s nagging knee problems have hobbled him for important matches.

Ronaldo’s competitive drive pushes him to drive up his statistics in his quest for Golden Boots and Golden Balls. However, this may have come at a cost.

By managing Ronaldo’s pitch time carefully, and taking precautions with his health Zidane, is demonstrating that he has the power and influence to force Ronaldo to think about the long-term and about trophies rather than individual awards.