Why Real Madrid won't skip a beat in Ronaldo's absence
After suffering a knee injury in the Euro 2016 final victory over France, Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to miss the first three matches of the 2016-17 campaign. A year later, thanks to his suspension for an altercation with a match official, Ronaldo will be absent from Los Blancos' first five matches - including a Super Cup clash with rival Barcelona.
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The Portuguese attacker's status could ultimately benefit Real, however. When push comes to shove (excuse the pun), Ronaldo's absence is a blessing in disguise for a club whose depth in attack could make it the first side since Bayern Munich (1973-76) to win a treble of top-tier continental contests on the trot.
Rest and relaxation
In nine La Liga matches last season sans Ronaldo in the starting XI, Real picked up maximum points while scoring 31 times.
By resting Ronaldo against lower-half sides, Zinedine Zidane kept the 32-year-old fresh for the Champions League run, and what an impact that had. The bronzed deity bagged five goals in both quarter-final legs against Bayern - including a perfect hat-trick in the return fixture - before scoring another versus rival Atletico in the semis.
That made Ronaldo the first player to reach a half-century of knockout stage goals. Considering he scored a brace in the subsequent domestic tilt with Sevilla to give him 401 Real Madrid goals - matching Jimmy Greaves as all-time top scorer in Europe's top-five leagues - it's safe to say keeping Ronaldo fresh has paid dividends, especially with his two-goal outing in the final against Juventus.
A straightforward schedule
Without Ronaldo for the start of last season, Real won all three matches, following up a Super Cup victory over Sevilla with results against Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo.
This time around, the capital club faces a similar schedule. Barcelona is a tougher foe on paper than Sevilla in Wednesday's "competitive" domestic ceremonial, but afterward, Real has league fixtures at home to Valencia and Levante and away dates with Deportivo and Sociedad. That's hardly daunting for a side that lost just three time in La Liga last year, and although one of those came against Valencia, Los Che haven't won at the Santiago Bernabeu since March 2008.
Dating back to 2005, Real Sociedad has won just one of 20 matches with Real in La Liga, while Deportivo conceded to Zidane's lot nine times last season. Pair that with a visit from promoted Levante, and Ronaldo will likely return to the fold with Real sitting atop the league on a dozen points. Anything less would amount to a small shock.
Depth on display
In football, one manager's headache is often another boss' blessing.
Zidane's excess of attackers may represent a minor hassle that Ronaldo's early-season absence will alleviate somewhat. Even with James Rodriguez on a Bavarian sabbatical, the French gaffer can cover for his star player's suspension with a trio of options.
The chance for Real's emerging stars to shine is a benefit that most clubs missing their best player couldn't afford.
With a healthy Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema forming two-thirds of a front-three, Zidane can opt for one of Marco Asensio, Isco, and Lucas Vazquez. While Barcelona entertains the prospect of starting either Gerard Deulofeu or a cardboard cutout of the footballer formerly known as Arda Turan in Neymar's spot, Zidane has to choose between three players who combined for 14 La Liga goals and 18 assists last season.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)