MADRID (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo's team mates have issued a strong defence of his value to Real Madrid as the Portuguese striker grapples with a barren streak that has sparked a debate about his place in the team.
The 31-year-old has failed to score in four straight games at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, a first in his Real career since joining from Manchester United in 2009, and was jeered during Sunday's 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao even though the result returned Zinedine Zidane's side to the top of the table.