Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid can breathe a sigh of release as news has been confirmed that Manchester United defender Phil Jones will likely miss the return leg in the Champions League Round of 16.
For the uninitiated, Jones was the defender that harassed Ronaldo throughout the 1-1 draw between the two cubs last Tuesday. If not for Jones' tremendous performance, Ronaldo likely gets a few past goalkeeper David De Gea and hands Madrid a win. Jones became Ronaldo's shadow throughout the bout and played a physical style that wore the superstar down.
However, an ankle injury he suffered this weekend in the FA Cup match against Reading is endangering his chances of making a return against Madrid. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said regarding Jones, "We are working very hard. He has an outside chance for Real Madrid - no more than that. He is a young man who went into a tackle too brave and was a bit off-balanced. He certainly won't be fit for the weekend."
The first leg between the two teams featured intense end-to-end action. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a highlight reel goal when he jumped over Patrice Evra and headed a shot past De Gea to tie the game at 1-1. Ronaldo was strong throughout the match, but the standout of the night was netminder David De Gea.
The return leg will be played on March 5 in Manchester. Manchester United can afford to play for a 0-0 draw to advance. Real Madrid must win or draw 2-2 in order to advance to the next round.
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