Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight vs Parma? Juventus team news for Serie A clash

Fabio Liverani's Parma will take on Andrea Pirlo's Juventus at the Ennio Tardini Stadium on Friday, December 19 on Matchday 13 of Serie A. The game between Parma and Juventus is scheduled to kick off at 8:45 PM local time (Sunday, 1:15 AM IST). However, social media has been abuzz about whether Cristiano Ronaldo will feature for Juventus in tonight's game or not.

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Parma vs Juventus match preview

Parma are currently in 14th place in the Serie A standings, with 12 points from 12 games. Fabio Liverani's side have drawn three of their previous games in the Italian top division and face a daunting task of hosting Juventus at home on Friday. Parma were held to a goalless draw at home against Cagliari on Wednesday. 

On the other hand, Juventus climbed to third on the Serie A table by virtue of yet another league draw on Wednesday. The Bianconeri were held to a 1-1 draw against Atalanta but Pirlo will be aware that he needs to start turning those singles into maximums if they are to keep pace with the Milan clubs at the Serie A summit. Juventus are still unbeaten in the league this season but have drawn six games out of their 12. 

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Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight? Juventus talisman included in the squad for clash vs Parma

Several fans on social media have been curious to know whether Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo will feature against Parma. The 35-year-old is one of the three forwards included in the Juventus squad which will face Parma on Friday. Given that Ronaldo is in the Juventus squad, it's likely that Pirlo will start him against Parma. 

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The questions over Ronaldo playing vs Parma stemmed from the fact that he picked up an injury last month and missed the 1-1 draw against Benevento due to an ankle problem. However, Ronaldo has featured in every match in December and is likely to start against Parma unless Pirlo opts to start him on the bench to give the Portuguese some rest, given the congested run of fixtures.

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Parma vs Juventus team news, injuries and suspensions

For Parma, left-back Giuseppe Pezzella and midfielder Matteo Scozzarella are not included in the squad due to injury. Gervinho and Yann Karamoh are expected to lead the line in attack for the hosts. 

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Paulo Dybala suffered a muscle strain in training on Friday and therefore, won't be available for Juventus during the weekend. Defenders Merih Demiral and Giorgio Chiellini are also sidelined. Pirlo will also have to make do without Arthur in midfield. 

Image Credits - Juventus Instagram