Cristiano Ronaldo Among Juventus Stars to Be Rested vs. Genoa

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has rested Cristiano Ronaldo for the team's trip to Genoa on Sunday.

Allegri named his matchday squad for the game on Saturday:

Blaise Matuidi and Giorgio Chiellini are included, but it seems they'll be occupying places on the bench:

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to send Juve through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Here's a reminder of his efforts:

With Juventus 18 points clear of Napoli in Serie A and the title all-but won, they're now free to focus all of their efforts on winning the Champions League.

The Bianconeri have four matches before the first leg of their quarter-final with Ajax, so it comes as no surprise they're eager to manage Ronaldo's fitness.

Allegri explained his decision to give the 34-year-old a breather:

Giving him a rest ahead of the international break is even more important for the Italian giants, as Ronaldo has returned to Portugal's squad for their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Ukraine and Serbia.

The forward has 124 goals to his name in the Champions League, including a stunning haul of 63 in the knockout phase.

Keeping him fresh for their European ties will be vital to Juve getting the best out of him.

At his age, even for a player of his conditioning, that requires careful planning—expect to see him rested from the team's domestic duties on several more occasions before the season is up.