Ronaldo is 80% fit – Mother

• Posted on April 28, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, has said she is optimistic her son’s fitness will be “at 100 percent” in time for next week’s Champions League semifinal return leg against Manchester City.

Her comments came amid Spanish media reports that the Real Madrid forward underwent treatment for a muscle injury on Wednesday.

Ronaldo missed Real’s Champions League semifinal first-leg draw at City through injury, but the club said on Tuesday they were optimistic he would be ready for the return leg at the Bernabeu next Wednesday.

The Portugal international quoted Bobby McFerrin in an Instagram message, saying: “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Madrid had hoped Ronaldo would recover from a thigh injury in time for Tuesday’s game, and there is now growing uncertainty over whether he will be fit in time for the return against City.

But at the launch of a new biography of herself, entitled “Mother Courage,” Aveiro played down fears that her son could be sidelined for a run of games.

“He is fine, he is not at 100 percent, but he is at 80 percent,” she said. “I think that he will be back next week.”

Asked by reporters whether the 31-year-old should agree to sometimes be rested or substituted during games, Aveiro joked that she had passed on her own “strong” character to her son.

“Ronaldo is a person who always wants more,” she said. “He is like his mother. He has a strong personality, he is very proud and he always demands more. This is his worst defect.”

Ayeiro said her view was that her son would be playing at the Bernabeu for a long time to come, adding: “Cristiano is happy here, he would like to finish his career at Real Madrid,” Aveiro said.

Speaking after Tuesday’s game, Real coach Zinedine Zidane said he was “hopeful” that Ronaldo would be back for the second leg agaiunst City, but did not comment on reports that he had suffered a new injury in coming back from the thigh strain he picked up against Villarreal.

Those reports were followed on Wednesday by further stories in the local media which claim that Ronaldo had personally visited a private clinic to get a second opinion on the injury, without informing his club’s medical staff of the plan, and that he is undergoing stem cell therapy.

Madrid have not released an updated fitness statement since returning from Manchester, but Ronaldo looks sure to miss Saturday’s La Liga game at Real Sociedad. Karim Benzema [knee] and Jese Rodriguez [calf] are also serious doubts to feature in that game at least.

-espnfc