Real Madrid is concerned that Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to be plagued by a chronic knee injury.
Ronaldo typically insists on playing every minute of every game, but he is suffering from a degenerative knee condition called tendonosis and a long-standing thigh problem that would be best-served by rest.
"Cristiano always wants to play and it's that competitive streak that makes him the player he is, but he knows he will need to rest more to avoid a constant recurrence of this problem," a source close to Madrid told Goal. "The club are delighted to see him training at full pace as he has in previous years, but there is still some concern over how he will respond over the whole season."