Pirlo praises Ronaldo's positive impact for Juventus

Pirlo has heaped praise on Ronaldo ahead of Juventus’ next match in the Serie A this weekend.

Andrea Pirlo has praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s desire to always support Juventus and believes the star is a positive role model for his teammates.

The Bianconeri manager was speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fiorentina in Serie A. While the club’s title defense is effectively over, a top-four spot for Champions League qualification next season is far from secure.

The pressure, therefore, will be on Ronaldo. He hasn’t scored in his last two appearances, but still helped Juventus bag important 3-1 victories over Genoa and Parma.

“This is my first season working with Ronaldo, and I have a great rapport with him,” said Pirlo in a pre-match conference on Saturday afternoon.

“He always wants to do well and gets angry even in training session matches. He always wants to lend his support and be a positive representation for the lads.”

Dybala could partner CR7 again

Paulo Dybala made another positive step forward in his recovery from a ligament injury by starting for the second match in a row in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Parma.

The Argentine didn’t score, but he linked up well with his teammates and troubled the Parma defense. Therefore, Pirlo could start him again or opt for Alvaro Morata to join Ronaldo up front.

“Dybala is doing much better and putting minutes in his legs,” said Pirlo.

“You could see his legs were moving better as the game wore on against Parma and he feels increasingly at ease.”

Federico Chiesa, however, won’t be available to face former club Fiorentina. The 23-year-old, who missed the midweek victory over Parma, hasn’t fully recovered from a hamstring injury.

But Pirlo has announced Adrien Rabiot will start in Fiorentina and that Giorgio Chiellini should be ready. Aaron Ramsey, meanwhile, could be set to see some more action.