Former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo is "not comfortable" in the Los Blancos team when Gareth Bale is selected.
Bale has been struggling with a calf problem this season, but returned to the starting XI for Sunday's La Liga clash against Sevilla.
The Welshman's return saw Ronaldo moved into a more central position, and the 30-year-old struggled to make his mark for long spells.
Valdano has claimed that "there's less pressing" when Ronaldo and Bale both play, which unbalances the team as a whole.
"[Ronaldo is] not comfortable. He prefers playing on the left, as he always has," he told Cadena SER. "It's difficult to determine if it's because he isn't scoring or it's because of the position he's playing, but he's not enjoying his game. He's playing under protest.
"They recovered the ball quickly and were strong, but of course, with Ronaldo and [Gareth] Bale [both playing], there's less pressing. The team have lost their discipline to stop their opponents' attacks in their own half."
Ronaldo has scored eight league goals this season, but five of those came in one match.
Matt Law
