Cristiano Ronaldo set to drop to the bench for Juventus' game against Inter Milan: Reports 

Superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo could drop to the bench as Juventus face Antonio Conte's Inter Milan in the first leg of the semi-final of the Coppa Italia.

According to journalist Luca Momblano via Calciomercato, Cristiano Ronaldo could be rested by Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo, with the Old Lady set to face Roma in the Serie A on Saturday.

Juventus are expected to field a strong side against Inter Milan, who will be without star striker Romelu Lukaku and key full-back Achraf Hakimi for this game.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been in fine goalscoring form once again this season for Juventus; in 22 appearances in all competitions the Portugal international has scored 20 goals. He is currently the leading goalscorer in Serie A this season, having scored 15 goals.

⏪ One year ago today @Cristiano hit a brace against Fiorentina to reach 50 goals for Juventus – it took him merely 70 appearances – and equal @Trezegoldavid's club record of scoring in nine successive Serie A appearances. What a machine 🤩⚪️⚫️ @juventusfcen | @SerieA_EN 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/8NIqpkRY1K

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) February 2, 2021

However, it remains to be seen whether Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo decides to start him against Inter Milan, given the Old Lady's slightly precarious position in the league.

Juventus inconsistent this season despite Cristiano Ronaldo's fine form

Juventus have been inconsistent under Andrea Pirlo

Juventus sacked Maurizio Sarri last summer, and opted for former player Andrea Pirlo as the new manager.

They were active during the summer transfer window, signing young talents like winger Federico Chiesa and midfielders Arthur and Weston McKennie.

Despite this they have been an inconsistent unit this season; they are 4th in the league table, seven points behind league leaders AC Milan with a game in hand. They have slowly caught up to AC Milan, with Cristiano Ronaldo's form a key reason for their upturn in form.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid in 2018 for a club-record fee of €100 million. He has made 111 appearances in all competitions so far, scoring 85 goals.

He has won the Serie A during both his seasons with the club, although Juventus have struggled in the UEFA Champions League.

Recently, Cristiano Ronaldo was linked with a move away from Juventus, with former club Manchester United and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain suggested as potential destinations.

Those rumours have since died down, and Cristiano Ronaldo looks settled in Italy. The 35-year old continues to be the most important player for Juventus.

🥇 Top rated player by league🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League - Harry Kane (7.93)🇪🇸 LaLiga - Lionel Messi (8.30)🇮🇹 Serie A - Cristiano Ronaldo (7.84)🇩🇪 Bundesliga - Robert Lewandowski (8.03)🇫🇷 Ligue 1 - Kylian Mbappe (7.78) pic.twitter.com/deX4gVWGHr

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 25, 2021

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