Zidane: Ronaldo to play 90 minutes vs. Sporting Lisbon

Sporting Lisbon will get a long look at its greatest football export Wednesday, after Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will play 90 minutes against his old team in the Champions League group stage.

The decision comes after Ronaldo was given an extended break following Portugal's triumph at the European Championship in France this summer, to rest the knee injury that forced him from the final.

Despite plans to ease Ronaldo back at a reduced pace, and reports that he would only appear for 70 minutes, Zidane confirmed his ambitious intention to reporters.

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"The idea is for him to play 90 minutes," Zidane confessed Tuesday. "I try to speak to Cristiano about other things than minutes because if you ask him he always wants to play 90 minutes.

"I'm always thinking about the two months he was out because that's a long time for a player ... (But) he's ready, we'll see what happens."

Since returning, Ronaldo has been limited to just one match in which he scored against Osasuna on Sept. 10 during 65 minutes of action.

Wednesday's match will be Ronaldo's first against his old team since 2007, when he faced off against Sporting while a member of Manchester United.