Cristiano Ronaldo's Return for Ajax Match 'Difficult,' Says Massimiliano Allegri

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has said there's a good chance Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Ajax, saying a return from injury by April 10 will be difficult.

The former Real Madrid man, who was injured on international duty with Portugal, is putting in the work but has little time to get back on the pitch:

The 34-year-old picked up a thigh injury during the international break, forcing him to miss a second consecutive match for Juventus. 

The Bianconeri lost the first contest without him, against Genoa, and barely scraped past relegation-threatened Empoli on Saturday thanks to some heroics from substitute Moise Kean:

Juventus were also without Paulo Dybala in that match, as he dropped out of warm-ups with an injury of his own.

The Italian champions have been hit hard by the injury bug lately, with several key men out for Tuesday's trip to Cagliari:

There's little doubt no absence will be more keenly felt than that of Ronaldo. The Portuguese star has enjoyed a solid first season in Turin so far, with the highlight undoubtedly his hat-trick in the Champions League comeback against Atletico Madrid.

Juventus bought Ronaldo with success in Europe in mind and had their backs against the wall after losing 2-0 in the Spanish capital in the first leg.

An early exit from the competition seemed likely, but Ronaldo put the team on his back in a stunning performance:

The Bianconeri are highly dependent on their star man, as their last two outings have shown, so not having him on the pitch for the first Ajax match would be a blow.

While the Dutch side are seen as one of the weaker teams left in the competition, they did just knock out the three-time defending champions Real Madrid―Ronaldo's old team.

The in-form Kean is expected to start the match against Cagliari and is in the midst of a major breakout, but he's untested in the Champions League.

The second leg of the Ajax tie will be on April 16, six days after the first.