The Portugal international suggested he was injured following the 2-1 victory over rivals Atletico Madrid over the weekend, with the club later confirming they expected him to be out for up to three weeks with a hamstring complaint.
However, Spurs coach Tim Sherwood – who was at the Madrid derby to watch Jose Mourinho’s side along with Les Ferdinand – has suggested Ronaldo may not be injured at all.
“He didn’t look like he had a hamstring problem to me,” Sherwood said, according to The Guardian. “It looked like he had two friendly games for Portugal which he might want to get out of.”
Sherwood was full of praise for the former Manchester United star though, after watching his performance in the victory.
He added: “The player who stuck out like a sore thumb against Atlético was Ronaldo.
“He is obviously a special talent. You talk about world-class players…I think it’s unfair to put Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in that category because they are out of this world and the rest are world-class.”
However, Sherwood thinks Spurs have a genuine opportunity of beating the Spanish giants, but will have to be mindful of superstars such as Ronaldo.
“We never came away from there as quivering wrecks and needing a lie down,” he said. “We think there is a real chance that we can impose ourselves on that Real Madrid side.”
He continued: “We don’t want to go out with a whimper. We know we have to be cautious but we cannot be over-cautious.
“If we continue to take punches all night, we are going to get knocked out. We were really positive coming away from there…but how can you legislate for Ronaldo dribbling past five players and sticking one in the top corner?”
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Tottenham’s Tim Sherwood: It Didn’t Look Like Cristiano Ronaldo Had A Hamstring Problem