Allegri reiterates plan to rest 'great professional' Ronaldo

The Juventus manager is ready to give the 33-year-old a break after he scored the winner in Saturday’s derby against Torino

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri described Cristiano Ronaldo as a “great professional”, though he reiterated his plan to rest the superstar after scoring the winner against Torino on Saturday.

Ronaldo was the hero in the Derby della Mole – the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scoring Juve’s 5000th Serie A goal in their 1-0 victory away from home.

A 70th-minute penalty handed Ronaldo his 11th league goal of the season, extending Juve’s lead at the summit to 11 points in the process.

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Ronaldo has adapted seamlessly since swapping Real Madrid for Juve but Allegri is ready to give the 33-year-old a break.

“Ronaldo is a great professional,” Allegri told reporters. “He truly cares about details. That’s why he is always fit.

“But I already told him that he will miss one of the next games against Roma, Atalanta or Sampdoria.”

Allegri’s words echoed what he told a news conference prior to Saturday’s derby.

“This is the start of the final rush before the mid-season break, so we need the right energies,” the manager said on Friday. 

After Juve take on Roma next Saturday, they face Atalanta and Sampdoria in the following week before the club have a two-week break in their schedule.

Since joining Italian champions Juve in a €112 million deal in the off-season, Ronaldo has scored 12 goals in all competitions.

Ronaldo is level with Genoa sensation Krzysztof Piatek atop the Serie A scoring charts after 16 games.