World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted at half-time of Real Madrid’s Spanish Super Cup first leg against local rivals Atletico Madrid reportedly due to the recurrence of a knee injury.
Ronaldo was replaced by Real’s latest marquee signing Colombian James Rodriguez, who was the top scorer at the World Cup with six goals in just five games, with the score locked at 0-0.
The Portuguese captain’s own involvement in Brazil was hampered by patellar tendinosis in his left knee, which also caused him to miss a series of games towards the end of last season.
However, Ronaldo had returned on top form in his first competitive outing of the new campaign as he scored twice in leading Madrid to the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Sevilla last week.