Real Madrid GM Jorge Valdano concedes Cristiano Ronaldo played for Portugal injured on Saturday. Ronaldo will miss the next four weeks with an ankle injury, which he aggravated in Portugal's World Cup qualifying victory over Hungary.

"It's most likely the player wasn't in a position to play in that international," Valdano told A Bola.

"What is obvious is that he now has not a new injury. It has been aggravated by a blow to the old spot."

Valdano admits Ronaldo should not have played, but Real "understood the utmost importance" of the game to Portugal's World Cup hopes. Ronaldo, after missing last week's defeat at Sevilla, will now be missing for five weeks since first suffering his ankle injury against Marseille.

At Manchester United, Ronaldo's injury record was outstanding and interestingly, just as he arrived at Real, former United fitness coach Valter di Salvo was allowed to leave the Madrid giants.