Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is ‘still handsome’ after sustaining a facial injury during their comprehensive victory over Deportivo La Coruna last week.
Ronaldo is still wearing the battle scars after the clash with an opposition defender left a cut on the side of his face pouring with blood.
The image-conscious Portugal international was seen checking his blood-drenched face on the mobile phone of a club doctor as he left the pitch injured last Sunday which later required him to have three stitches above the eye.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is ‘still handsome’ after sustaining a facial injury
Ronaldo sported a bruised eye after his gruesome injury as Real Madrid trained on Friday
‘Players often hit me in games because they have to stop me but this time I wasn’t so lucky,’ Ronaldo said in an interview with Chinese social network Dongqiudi.
‘Now I feel better, I am still happy, I am still handsome and my vision is as clear as before so there’s no problem.’
Ronaldo is in the midst of his worst domestic run of form since joining Real from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world-record fee of £80million, with only six league goals to his name, although he is top scorer in the Champions League.
Real are also enduring a dramatic fall from grace after sweeping to the Champions League and La Liga titles last season, with Zinedine Zidane’s men currently 19 points adrift of league leaders Barcelona.
Madrid were also dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Leganes on Wednesday which has sparked rumours Ronaldo could be open to leaving Spain amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo, however, believes they can still salvage their season by winning the Champions League, with a mouth-watering last 16 tie with Ligue 1 leaders and potential suitors PSG awaiting them next month.
Ronaldo needed attention from the physio after clashing with a Deportivo La Coruna defender
Ronaldo asked the physio for his phone so he could check the damage as he walked off
Ronaldo used the physio’s phone to check the damage after getting a nasty cut to the head
‘As this is Real Madrid, the fans, coaches and players are very, very disappointed with our current position but it’s still early,’ he added.
‘Perhaps at the end of the season we’ll win the Champions League and then people will say “What an incredible season”.’
The five-times Ballon d’Or winner also said he wished to remain at Real for many years, despite reports in the Spanish media claiming he is in dispute with club president Florentino Perez over the unfulfilled promise of a new contract.
‘Of course I love living here, I’ve lived here since 2009 and I love the climate and the people,’ he said.
‘Spain is a great country and of course I want to stay here, I love this club.’
The Portugal forward also insisted he is happy at Real amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain