Juventus coach hopes to have Ronaldo back against Ajax

Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo.(Antonio Calanni/AP)

TURIN, Italy — Cristiano Ronaldo could return from injury for Juventus‘ Champions League match at Ajax next week.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says "Ronaldo is working hard and we hope to have him available for Ajax."

Ronaldo injured a right thigh muscle a week ago while with Portugal for European Championship qualifying.

Allegri says "the exam he had this morning revealed that the leg is much better. Then of course it depends how the player reacts and the eventual pain that he feels."

Juventus travels to Ajax for the first leg of the quarterfinals on April 10, then hosts the Dutch team the following week.

Ronaldo scored a hat trick against Atletico Madrid in the last 16, almost single-handedly overturning a first-leg deficit.

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