CRISTIANO RONALDO could be made Juventus captain for the first time this weekend.
Andrea Pirlo is without a number of players ahead of the visit of Cagliari, which could provide a fresh opportunity for Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo could step up as Juventus captain this weekendCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Club captain Giorgio Chiellini and deputy Leonardo Bonucci are both ruled out of Saturday’s clash.
Muscle problems are keeping the defenders out, opening the way for Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral to start together.
Typically, the armband would land with the player who has spent the most time with the club.
Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado have previously been selected but Pirlo may leave the South American duo out.
Furthermore, veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is not likely to start the game with Wojciech Szczesny fit and available.
According to Tuttosport, Ronaldo will be the natural choice to take the armband.
Friday’s Tuttosport front page opens the possibility of ‘Captain Ronaldo’
The striker signed for Juve last year but has years of experience with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Portugal to rely on.
As his country’s captain, Ronaldo famously lifted the Euro 2016 trophy despite going off injured in the final with France.
He was given the chance to don the armband for his club last December, but refused.
Many praised Ronaldo as humble for deciding to hand the captaincy over to Blaise Matuidi, who had spent longer at Juventus, in the final moments of a win over Udinese.
Reports have surfaced in recent weeks speculating over the 35-year-old’s future in Turin.
Juventus are said to be considering cashing in on the talisman due to their coronavirus pandemic financial worries.
Paris Saint-Germain and old club United are both reportedly looking into a deal for the player.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
