CRISTIANO RONALDO could be denied a record SIXTH World Cup tournament.
The 41-year-old legend appeared to have picked up a muscle injury during Al-Nassr‘s 3-1 win over Al-Feyha in the Saudi Pro League.
To add insult to injury, Ronaldo uncharacteristically missed an early penalty in the first half with the scores at 0-0.
During the 80th minute, shortly after his side took the lead, Ronaldo signalled to the bench and left the field with visible discomfort.
He was seen on the bench with an ice pack on the back of his knee.
This is the second instance of Ronaldo being substituted early, as he was also forced off before the hour mark midweek against Al-Najma.
Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus said: “Ronaldo suffered muscle fatigue and the medical staff will urgently perform the necessary tests to determine his condition.”
With the World Cup just three months away, any serious health issue flagged by the medical department could mean the Portuguese forward missing the quadrennial showpiece event.
It is expected to be Ronaldo’s last-ever World Cup, with Portugal drawn in a favourable group comprising Colombia, Uzbekistan and either one of DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia.
He remains on track to reaching a historic 1,000 career goals as a professional, just 35 goals away from hitting that mark.
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Al-Nassr are leading the Saudi Pro League, two points clear of Al-Ahli and three ahead of Al-Hilal.
Ronaldo has 21 league goals this season, trailing only Al-Qadsiah’s Julian Quinones (22) and Ivan Toney (23) in the race for the Golden Boot.
