REAL MADRID SAYS RONALDO'S INJURY IS NOT SERIOUS

Real Madrid say the injury that forced Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo off at half-time in the 1-1 Super Cup draw with Atletico Madrid is not a major concern.

Real Madrid says Cristiano Ronaldo's injury is not serious

Cristiano Ronaldo only managed to complete 45 minutes of the Spanish Super Cup first leg. Although many people were originally concerned that his left knee had given out again, the truth is that the Portuguese star suffered from a muscle problem in the rear of his left thigh. 

According to Carlo Ancelotti's medical staff, they decided it was best to take him off.

The striker had not had a good first half, left with no room to manoeuvre due to Atlético's impeccable defensive performance, and he barely featured during the first 45 minutes. 

Manager Carlo Ancelotti said: "Cristiano felt something and was uncomfortable. We'll evaluate it. He'll undergo all the checks and we'll see.

"It doesn't seem to be anything too serious."

A couple of runs down the left flank and a feeble header on goal were his main contributions.

The problems with his left knee which were stalking him last season appear to be a thing of the past and this muscle issue does not sound too serious, meaning that Ancelotti is confident that Ronaldo will be able to play on Friday in the second leg of the Super Cup at the Calderón.

CR7 missed a host of games for Real during the last two months of last season and although he played in the Champions League final and the World Cup, he was seriously affected by the problems he was suffering with his left knee. Under normal circumstances, that injury would have seen him sidelined, but the importance of the fixtures forced him to push his patellar ligament to the absolute limit.

Ronaldo played with knee and thigh injuries during the World Cup finals, where his Portugal side failed to get out of their group, but returned to score twice in Real's European Super Cup win in Cardiff last week.

The Ballon d'Or winner scored 51 times for Real last season, including a record 17 in the Champions League as Real won their 10th European Cup.

Real face La Liga champions Atletico on Friday in the second leg of the Super Cup, a competition which pits the league champions against the Copa del Rey winners.

Real open their league campaign against Cordoba on Monday.