Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight vs Genoa? Juventus team news for Coppa Italia fixture

The Coppa Italia has arrived in Italy and Juventus will begin the campaign against Genoa on Wednesday night. The Old Lady are the most successful side in the competition's history with 13 titles and have featured in five of the last six finals. However, manager Andrea Pirlo faces a stern test after his squad continues to struggle through an injury crisis, with questions being raised on the fitness of star man Cristiano Ronaldo. Here's the Cristiano Ronaldo injury update.

Also Read: Jose Mourinho Hits Back At Mesut Ozil After German Mocks Tottenham On Twitter

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight? Juventus star expected to play amidst injury crisis 

At 35, Cristiano Ronaldo is not getting any younger and Juventus will hope that the Portuguese legend can keep up his fitness levels as the Old Lady mount a title challenge. The Coppa Italia presents a welcome opportunity for coach Andrea Pirlo to rest his star man, but under the current circumstances, Ronaldo is most likely to feature against Genoa. Juventus have been ravaged by injuries and COVID-19, with Paulo Dybala picking up a nasty knock at the weekend. Fellow forward Alvaro Morata is also out injured, and with Federico Chiesa also suffering a niggle, Pirlo might be forced to play Ronaldo against Genoa. 

Also Read: Man United Fans SLAM VAR Online Over Controversial Decisions Involving Shaw And Maguire

Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to line-up alongside Federico Bernadeschi, with Dejan Kulusevski or former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey, as Juventus look to start their campaign with a win. The 35-year-old will hope to make the most of the game and continue his impressive scoring record this season, and help Juventus advance into the next round of the competition. With games against Inter Milan and Napoli coming, Ronaldo is likely to be taken off soon, with the former Real Madrid star a key part of Pirlo's attack. 

Andrea Pirlo will also be without the services of Weston McKennie, who also picked up a knock against Sassuolo. The defensive trio of Juan Cuadrado, Alex Sandro and Matthijs de Ligt previously tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating, while Federico Chiesa is also likely to miss out. Gianluca Frabotta is expected to start at left-back, with Meriah Demiral coming in for De Ligt. Gianluigi Buffon is expected to start in goal, with Danilo slotting in at right-back. 

• Probable line-up: Buffon; Danilo, Demiral, Chiellini, Frabotta; Bernardeschi, Rabiot, Bentancur, Arthur; Kulusevski; Ronaldo

Also Read: Luka Jovic To Eintracht Frankfurt? Club Director Confirms Talks With Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo has been in fine form this season, scoring a staggering 19 goals in just 17 games across all competitions. The 35-year-old was ruled out earlier in the season due to coronavirus, but the time out hasn't impacted his performances as the Portuguese legend has been a consistent performer in Andrea Pirlo's side. The former Manchester United star has played 106 games for the Old lady, scoring a mammoth 84 goals, with 67 of those coming in the Serie A. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently leading the Scudetto scoring charts and is three goals ahead of next best Romelu Lukaku. 

Also Read: Real Madrid Transfer News: Club to Offload Six Players To Raise Funds For Mbappe Transfer

(Image Courtesy: Cristiano Ronaldo Twitter)