Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Juventus’ squad for Tuesday’s Serie A showdown with Brescia.
Italian football journalist Adam Digby relayed the news on Monday, noting the forward will be rested for the contest due to some concerns over his condition:
The Portugal international arrived in Turin in July 2018 from Real Madrid and took little time to adjust to life in a new league and a new country.
The 34-year-old bagged 21 Serie A goals in his first season in the Italian top flight to help Juve claim the league title for an eighth consecutive season. Ronaldo also helped Portugal win the inaugural UEFA Nations League in June.
The forward was predominantly brought to Italy to help the club lift the European Cup for the first time since 1996. His four goals in seven appearances helped Juventus into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season before they were knocked out by Ajax.
However, his importance was highlighted in Juventus’ victory over Atletico Madrid in the last 16. Ronaldo hit a hat-trick in the second leg to overturn a first-leg 2-0 defeat and secure a 3-2 aggregate win.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has won the competition five times in his career, and his experience and winning mentality will once again be key to Juventus’ hopes of European glory this season.