Cristiano Ronaldo suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury in Monday's Euro 2020 qualifier against Serbia, causing concerns for Juventus as a Champions League clash with Ajax looms. The forward lined up for Portugal in Monday's qualifying clash, but was forced out of the match in the 31st minute due to the injury. At the time, Portugal were losing 1-0 to Serbia thanks to a Dusan Tadic finish from the penalty spot. However, shortly after Ronaldo's removal, Portugal were able to tie the match through a goal from Danilo Pereira. Ronaldo was instrumental in guiding Juventus past Atletico Madrid and into the Champions League quarter-finals, as the former Real Madrid star fired home a hat-trick to help the Italian side overcome a 2-0 first leg deficit. Now, his status for that quarter-final, a clash with Ajax, is up in the air depending on the severity of his injury. Juventus are set to take on Ajax on April 10 in the first leg in Amsterdam before returning to Turin for the second leg six days later. Ajax sealed their spot in the quarter-final round by stunning Ronaldo's former club, Real Madrid, battering the Spanish giants 4-1 in the second leg at the Bernebeu to advance in the competition. Before facing off with Ajax, Juventus do face a trio of Serie A matches at the conclusion of the international break. The Serie A leaders will return on Saturday against Empoli before facing Cagliari three days later. Juve will then take on AC Milan on April 6 ahead of the trip to the Netherlands. In league play, though, Juve have all but wrapped up the title, having established a 15-point lead on second-place Napoli and a 22-point lead on third-place Inter Milan. Ronaldo has been pivotal to that Serie A lead, having scored 19 goals in 26 league appearances since joining the club from Real Madrid this past summer. He's scored a further four goals in Champions League play as he looks to guide Juve on a tournament run having won the last three titles during his time in Madrid. Ronaldo also started and played all 90 minutes on Portugal's Euro 2020 qualifying opener, a scoreless draw with Ukraine. 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus have been tipped to “physically destroy” Ajax in the Champions League, with Andrea Pirlo admiring the motivation of star turns in Turin. The Bianconeri acquired a five-time winner of the competition last summer in the hope of bringing their barren run in Europe to a close . The Portuguese superstar has carried them into the quarter-finals, with his stunning hat-trick in the second leg of a last-16 showdown with Atletico Madrid helping to keep their dreams alive. Dutch opponents are next in Juve’s sights , with Ajax having claimed the notable scalp of title holders Real Madrid to prolong their own continental adventure. An exciting and youthful, Eredivisie outfit will present another stern examination of Juve’s Champions League credentials, but Pirlo believes Ronaldo and Co will prove too strong. The former star told Gazzetta dello Sport : “Juventus' target is Europe now. They have changed their mentality. “Ronaldo decided to change his life at 33. It means he had great motivations and he settled in well very quickly. “In a season, there is always a turnaround, a perfect game that changes the season. “I think Juve can physically destroy Ajax, it was a good draw. “Ajax beat Real Madrid but Real were as unorganised as ever and that's rare. It won't happen with Juve. “Juventus can win the Champions League provided that they won't repeat what they did in Madrid.” Juve suffered a quarter-final defeat to a Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid side in 2017-18. The previous year, the man now on their books dashed their dreams in the final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. They now have the chance to right those wrongs and claim a first European triumph since 1996. Ronaldo will be expected to lead that charge, with the Champions League’s all-time leading goalscorer having recorded another four efforts in the competition this season as he seeks to lift the famous trophy in a fourth successive campaign.

Juventus’ project with Cristiano Ronaldo is “going perfectly”, says Alessandro Del Piero, with both sides of the stunning agreement expected to get the Champions League success they crave. The Portuguese superstar was taken to Turin in the summer of 2018 after nine record-breaking seasons at Real Madrid. His capture, even at the age of 33, was considered to be a major coup for Juve and Serie A. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has not disappointed in new surroundings, netting 24 goals in 36 appearances. His haul has included a remarkable hat-trick in a meeting with old adversaries Atletico Madrid, which carried the Bianconeri through to the quarter-finals in Europe’s elite club competition. Del Piero told Marca of Ronaldo’s exploits: “That's what Juventus bought him for. “He is a champion who has won this title and who knows what it's like to play these difficult matches, with good football and by scoring goals. “He is focused on the objective. Juventus signed him for this and the plan is going perfectly so far.” Quizzed on whether it would be a failure if Massimiliano Allegri’s side missed out on the Champions League crown this season, Del Piero added: “Failure is a really big word. I wouldn't use it. “The project is about winning the Champions League with Ronaldo and he signed for four years. If you can win it in the first year then even better.” An iconic figure from Juve’s past believes that continental glory will be delivered and that Ronaldo made the right choice in heading for Italy after calling time on a memorable spell in Spain. Asked if he was surprised that such a move was made, the former Italy international said: “Yes, a little, but not too much. “Ronaldo could pick whatever team he wanted to go to in the world and it was a good piece of business that he picked Juventus.” Ronaldo has not had things all his own way since linking up with Juventus, but Del Piero claims that is to be expected and that any criticism is merely a result of the standards set by one of the finest talents to have ever played the game. He added: “When you have a player who scores a goal per game on average and then has a match when he doesn't score then something's missing. It can happen. “There isn't a rule that says you have to score all the goals. For me, it's part of the game and you should leave it because you'll score again in a game or two.” Ronaldo is currently away on international duty, having returned to the Portugal fold for the first time since the 2018 World Cup, but will be back in domestic action on Saturday when Juve play host to Empoli.

Aaron Ramsey will miss Wales' opening Euro 2020 qualifier against Slovakia on Sunday after failing to recover from injury. The 28-year-old – who has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Juventus at the end of the season – has withdrawn from the squad and returned to his club for treatment. Ramsey played no part in The Dragons' 1-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday. Wales manager Ryan Giggs said: "It's a blow, especially the form he's been in, but it gives a chance for somebody else. "We made sure we had a plan B and we've worked on that during the week. We're going to miss someone like Aaron, but we've prepared for it as well." Ramsey will hope to return to full fitness for the Gunners' next game against Newcastle United in the Premier League on April 1. The Gunners midfielder was among a host of big names rested for the Trinidad and Tobago match, with Gareth Bale, Ben Davies and Joe Allen all amongst those rested by Giggs. Despite toiling to victory, the manager will be confident he made the right choice by leaving Ramsey in particular out for that match-up as he and his charges prepare for Sunday. "We've got players minutes who needed it, a lot of lads who weren't even on the bench are fresh," Giggs said after the clash. "Slovakia are playing on Thursday, and it's not a given but we wanted to use that advantage. Going into the game fresh, with a win, there's a lot to be pleased about. "I thought there was some really good stuff. We've only had a few days to work on stuff and some of it paid off. "Second half I think the lads tired, which you can understand, and credit to Trinidad and Tobago they just sat in their shape and waited to counter-attack. "But we kept going and got our reward in the end. We had our luck a little bit with Gunter clearing it off the line but I told the lads if we kept a clean sheet we'd always have a chance."

Manchester United, Juventus and Liverpool have been offered hope in the pursuit of Joao Felix, with Benfica sporting director Rui Costa conceding that “certain players cannot be held back”. The 19-year-old forward has emerged as one of the most sought-after talents in European football. His exploits in his native Portugal have thrust him onto the transfer radar of sides in England, Italy and beyond. Felix’s current contract does include a €120 million (£103m/$136m) release clause, which could prove a sticking point to some in the pursuit of a player with limited experience, but it is considered to be only a matter of time before a big-money move is made. Costa admits that it will become impossible for Benfica to retain the services of a player with such potential, telling Tuttosport: “Someone called him my heir. Or the new Kaka. The truth is that Felix is only Felix. “He has an extraordinary sense of play and he has a rare ability, he can guess what will happen in front of the goal. He is a modern number 10, a second striker with a remarkable sense of goal, he scored 10 goals in the league. “€120m release clause? We will try to keep him as long as possible, this applies to Felix as it does to all the others. “This is the club's policy, then we will see why we are aware that the clauses exist and that certain players cannot be held back indefinitely in Portugal.” Another of those to be generating transfer talk at Benfica is highly-rated centre-half Ruben Dias. The 21-year-old is already a senior international with Portugal and, like Felix, is said to be attracting admiring glances from Juventus and Manchester United as both sides seek long-term solutions to questions at the heart of their respective defensive units. Costa added on Dias: “If he will go away I don't know. We would like to keep him still and Ruben knows that here he would have a lot of attention. “The club needs to sell to make cash. We will see how the summer market will develop.”