Madrid - Cristiano Ronaldo will be out of action for around two weeks, according to Portuguese and Spanish press reports on Monday. The world's most expensive player aggravated his twisted right ankle in Portugal's 3-0 thrashing of Hungary on Saturday and had to limp off the Lisbon field after just 26 minutes.
Ronaldo originally twisted the ankle in Real Madrid's 3-0 Champions League defeat of Olympique Marseille on September 30. He then missed Real's 2-1 defeat away to Sevilla on October 4.
The medical staff of the Portuguese football federation will carry out a rigorous examination of the ankle later on Sunday.
He will certainly miss Portugal's last World Cup qualifying game at home to Malta on Wednesday, which Carlos Queiroz' team need to win in order to finish second in Group 1 - and thus qualify for the play-offs.
According to sports daily AS on Sunday, Cristiano has asked Real to permit him to stay with the Portuguese squad until Thursday, instead of returning immediately to Madrid for treatment.
Rival daily Marca, for its part, quotes Henrique Jones, the head doctor of the Portuguese squad as denying that Cristinao should have missed the Hungary match.
"There was no risk," said Jones. "He was in condition to play, though now he is in a lot of pain."
Ronaldo left Lisbon's Estadio da Luz limping, without talking to the media.
