Maurizio Sarri confirms Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Juventus squad for match against Atalanta
What's the story?
Juventus's manager, Maurizio Sarri, has confirmed today that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be featuring in Saturday's Serie A fixture against Atalanta.
The manager clarified that Ronaldo isn't at 100% fitness and the aim for the club is for the Portuguese legend to be ready for Juventus's UEFA Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid next Tuesday
In case you didn't know?
Cristiano Ronaldo had a fruitful international break with Portugal, scoring four goals and leading his national side to yet another major tournament.
Additionally, Ronaldo's four goals mean that his goal tally for Portugal now sits at a whopping 99 goals, meaning he is just 10 goals behind the all-time record held by Ali Daei.
The heart of the matter
There had been some controversy between Cristiano Ronaldo and Maurizio Sarri leading up to the international break. The manager had subbed Ronaldo off two times in the space of a week, which was more than the entirety of last season for the Portuguese.
Ronaldo's frustrations were sensed after the first substitution, by the second however, they were on display for all to see and he was seen mouthing expletives as he walked past Sarri and straight down the tunnel.
Some argued this represented disharmony between Ronaldo and Sarri. However, comments made by Ronaldo himself suggest that he was annoyed about his fitness levels and during the international break he confirmed that he was not at 100% fitness at the moment.
Cristiano Ronaldo's form, at least for Juventus, has been patchy, to say the least, this season, so it makes sense to learn that he has been harbouring an injury throughout this period. Nevertheless, given his form for Portugal in the same period, there are undoubtedly deeper issues in the Juventus lineup.
What's next?
Well for Ronaldo he will be recovering, for Juventus, however, they will face off against Atalanta tomorrow at 14:00 GMT.