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Cristiano Ronaldo Returns To Training With Portugal For World Cup [Photos]

By Patricia Didelot
Published on: 08:58 PST, Jun 7, 2014

Cristiano Ronaldo gave a big boost to the Portugal National Football team when he returned to practice on Saturday. Ronaldo missed the previous sessions so he could receive treatment for his injured leg.

Rumors were that the striker would miss out the World Cup because of his injuries. However, it doesn’t seem to be the case any longer as Ronaldo joined his teammates for the first time since arriving in Portugal following Real Madrid’s win of “La Decima” in the UEFA Champions League Final.

Portugal will face Germany in the “Group of Death,” as their Group G has been dubbed, during the June 16 opener. Many questions surrounded the physical condition of the Ballon d’Or winner, but Ronaldo is determined to represent his country in the international tournament that starts on Thursday.

In a statement released on Saturday by the Portuguese Football Federation, news that Cristiano Ronaldo is on the road to recovery was welcomed with relief:

“Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul Meireles integrated with the remaining group of players. Pepe is carrying out his rehabilitation and sport specific exercises in the field individually.”

Ronaldo was seen stretching out his leg and working on his conditioning during Saturday’s training session, a welcome sight for many of his concerned fans:

It was during the last part of the La Liga season, when Real Madrid was fighting for the top spot, that Ronaldo first injured himself. This forced manager Carlo Ancelotti to bench him for some of the final matches.

Cristiano played the entire UEFA Champions League final — scoring the last goal, a penalty, in OT — and many believe this aggravated his condition.

But being one of the most dedicated football players out there, Ronaldo has been working hard with the Portuguese trainers to be in the best possible shape after the brutal La Liga season and hard-fought UCL.

In the meantime, Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to Twitter to cheer on his teammates as they prepare to battle Germany, the US, and Ghana in Group G at the World Cup in Brazil.

[Image via Cristiano Ronaldo/Twitter]

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