Madrid, Spain - Real Madrid and the Portuguese football federation have gone to war over Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal national manager Carlos Queiroz announced he was calling up the winger for this week's World Cup playoffs against Bosnia-Herzegovina, saying that he would like Ronaldo to play, "even if just for a few minutes".
Ronaldo's club Real were furious at the move because they believe his battered right ankle needs two more weeks to recover before he returns to action.
The plan of the Spanish giants is to have him fit for the November 29 Clasico away to Barcelona, who are one point ahead of them in the league.
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It is the old "club versus country" row with a vengeance They are afraid that him playing against Bosnia could aggravate his injury and are adamant Ronaldo will stay in Madrid rather than travel to Portugal this week.
Portugal appear not to believe that the injury is so serious and want their own doctors to examine the winger.
It is the old "club versus country" row with a vengeance, with the world's most expensive player stuck in the middle.
Real smashed the world transfer record in June when they paid Manchester United around &euro94 million (R1 billion) for the 24-year-old crowd pleaser.
He started out like an express train at the Bernabeu, scoring five goals in La Liga in September and four in the Champions League.
Since the Hungary fiasco, Ronaldo has not played But on September 30, an ugly foul by Olympique Marseille's Souleymane Diawara badly sprained his right ankle. He was out of action for 10 days and Real did not want him to play for Portugal against Hungary.
But play he did, and aggravated the injury.
Real were furious with the Portuguese doctors and with Queiroz, who flopped as Real coach a few years ago.
Since the Hungary fiasco, Ronaldo has not played.
Last week, he travelled to Amsterdam to be examined by specialist Niek van Dijk, the doctor who operated on the ankle in July 2008.
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