CRISTIANO RONALDO insists he should be fully fit within two weeks after getting injured for Portugal against Serbia last night.
The Juventus star was forced off after just 31 minutes with an apparent hamstring issue.
Ronaldo pulled up while chasing a pass down the left-hand side and nodded his head knowingly to the national team’s medical staff after going down off of the pitch.
The 34-year-old has avoided muscle issues for several years despite performing at such a high level for so long – but he insists he is not concerned.
That would see him out of this Saturday’s clash with Empoli (5.30pm) as well as Serie A matches against Cagliari in mid-week and AC Milan next weekend.
That won’t matter all too much, with Juve 15 points clear of second-placed Napoli in the league.
But he will be hoping to return to fitness for Juve’s trip to Amsterdam in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Ajax on April 10.
Ajax downed Ronaldo’s former employers Real Madrid with a stylish 4-1 win at the Bernabeu in the last round to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, while Juve came from 2-0 down to beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate courtesy of a Ronaldo hat-trick in the reverse fixture.
Cristiano Ronaldo says he will only miss two weeks (Image: GETTY)
Cristiano Ronaldo pulled up while chasing a pass (Image: GETTY)
Cristiano Ronaldo went off in the first half with his muscle problem (Image: GETTY)
I’m not worried because I know my body perfectly
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo told reporters: “I’m not worried because I know my body perfectly.
“It happens, it’s football. Who’s out there risks it. I’m calm, because I know I’m going to be back well in one or two weeks with no problem.”
It was just Ronaldo’s second cap for his country since the World Cup last summer.
And the ex-Real Madrid man revealed that he wanted the time off to settle in his new surroundings in Italy, having joined Juve for £88million back in July.
He added: ”I want to be in national team in the next matches. I was absent for eight months because I needed some time for myself.
“It was a radical change for me I needed a little time to adapt to my new life in Turin.”
The reigning European champions drew 1-1 in Lisbon in what was their second qualifier for next year’s Euros after Danilo Pereira’s stunning 40th-minute strike cancelled out a goal from Dusan Tadic.
That comes after a draw with Ukraine in their first qualifier last week.
But Portugal were controversially denied a penalty against Serbia despite the referee having pointed to the spot – with a chat with his assistant leading him to reverse the decision.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Juve’s last Champions League match (Image: GETTY)
