Jose Mourinho has admitted he could take a chance on Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness against Tottenham if the player agrees to defy medical opinion.
The Real Madrid manager admitted on Friday that Ronaldo was likely to miss the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, along with Karim Benzema and Marcelo.
However, Mourinho's mind is not mind up quite yet and he will speak to Ronaldo about whether he wants to gamble.
"If he has a chance it's because he and his coach are taking a risk, because the information from the medical department is that he can't play, that he can only play in the game in Bilbao (next weekend)," Mourinho told reporters after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Sporting Gijon.
"But if the two of us and only the two of us decide that he's going to play then the risk is mine and his.
"Tomorrow I will talk with the injured players and decide if we will risk them."
The result against Gijon ended Mourinho's personal nine-year unbeaten record at home stretching back to his time with Porto.
It left Real five points adrift of Barca in the Primera Liga title race ahead of the Catalan side's game at Villarreal later on Saturday.
And Mourinho admitted it would now be extremely difficult to Real to make up the ground, with the season coming to an end next month.
"Mathematically the league is not over but if the gap goes to eight points it is practically impossible (to win the title)," he said.
"Luck is a part of football and our opponents had it all, while we didn't have any tonight."
Mourinho added: "We played without the team's most creative players. We lacked creativity. We had to try a different style, more direct with long balls in the air, and we had more opportunities.
"If I had wanted to draw the game 0-0 from the start I would have done so. But a draw was a bad result.
"Against Tottenham on Tuesday, it won't be. If we draw at home, it would not be a drama because we will have the return to play in London."
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