MADRID, Spain — Cristiano Ronaldo won’t play in Real Madrid’s first away game of the Spanish league season after Portugal ruled him unfit for its opening 2016 European Championship qualifier.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has left the Ballon d’Or winner out of his squad for Sunday’s game at Real Sociedad.
Ancelotti says “we preferred to use this week and the next two to let him recover completely.”
Portugal coach Paulo Bento said on Friday that the national team’s doctors deemed Ronaldo unfit to play its first European qualifier against Albania on Sept. 7.
Ronaldo was hindered by tendinitis and a muscle injury in his left leg during this summer’s World Cup.
He has played for Madrid at the start of this season, scoring three goals in four games in all competitions.
