Cristiano Ronaldo provides update as he is pictured in first-team group training
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo returned to training this week and updated his supporters with an Instagram picture, showing him running at the club's complex in Turin.
Although plans to resume the 2019-20 campaign have been delayed in Italy, Cristiano Ronaldo is stepping up his own personal preparations to be at his best when things return.
As we covered on Tuesday, the Serie A will remain suspended until June 15 at the earliest.
Clubs had chosen Saturday, June 13 as their target return date but are expected to wait at least another week before the 2019-20 season can resume.
Cristiano Ronaldo finished his mandatory 14-day quarantine earlier this week, after flying into Turin from his Madeira home earlier this month.
Footage emerging of him at the club's Continassa training base is another step forward for supporters and his teammates too, as Cristiano Ronaldo's presence could be the difference between them winning silverware and falling short when things are deemed safe to resume.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus keen to finish season well
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 21 goals and created three assists in 22 league games so far this term, so will be motivated to regain his match sharpness as quickly as possible.
This season hasn't been straightforward for Cristiano Ronaldo or his teammates, as Simone Inzaghi's Lazio are serious title challengers - unbeaten in the league since late September.
In contrast, Juventus have suffered inconsistent form across all competitions this season, despite their quality and squad depth.
It's perhaps part of the reason why he did regular gym work in Madeira, while the Instagram picture posted shows he's unsurprisingly still in game shape after a two-month hiatus.
One of Ronaldo's sisters, Katia, responded with a supportive message in the comments - as did teammates Douglas Costa and Leandro Fernandes (on-loan at Fortuna Sittard).
Speaking of Costa, he and the majority of his Juventus teammates - Cristiano Ronaldo included - were involved in small-sided group training. The club posted a YouTube video today showing their players in action, while observing social distancing rules.
Some players returning with a point to prove
Giorgio Chiellini, Matthijs de Ligt, Aaron Ramsey, Miralem Pjanic and Paulo Dybala were among those doing various drills, from passing and dribbling exercises to basic cardio work.
As previously mentioned, Ronaldo was involved while their masked head coach Maurizio Sarri watched on intently from a distance.
Experienced midfielder Sami Khedira also made an appearance, with the Germany international perhaps feeling like he has a point to prove.
He's got a year left on his existing Juve deal, although there's an extension option - but hasn't featured since November last year after undergoing knee surgery.
They haven't looked particularly poor in midfield without him, as Rodrigo Bentancur and Pjanic have been dependable performers.
You can watch their training video in full here:
Over the past 24 hours, Italy recorded 642 new COVID-19 cases and a further 156 deaths - taking their death toll to 32,486. The UK are the only European country with more.