Ronaldo or Owen, a Real dilemma for Luxemburgo

Real coach Wanderley Luxemburgo will have to decide before Tuesday's Champions League last 16 first leg clash against Italian league leaders Juventus who will be his main target man.

Will it be three-times World Player of the Year Ronaldo or England striker Michael Owen?

The final decision is likely to depend on whether the former Brazil boss is still angry at his compatriot and former favourite, who he had a hand in discovering and developing as a teenager.

Ronaldo was late for training twice last week, which incurred a fine, as well as late for the launch of a book about Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and he also returned from his wedding in Paris with a bruised big toe.

Luxemburgo publically rebuked Ronaldo and he started on the bench for Saturday's 2-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao.

However, Ronaldo issued a public plea for Luxemburgo to forgive him at a press conference here on Monday.

"These are the sort of games that I love playing in, and I hope people realise this," said the Brazilian superstar.

Luxemburgo may still opt for Owen up front, despite Ronaldo's repentance and the fact that the former Liverpool player has started just two of Real's eight league games since Luxemburgo's arrival in December.

Owen also started only two of Real's six group matches under former coach Mariano Garcia Remon, but he was one of the few Real players to emerge from Saturday's debacle against the Basques with any credit.

Ronaldo finally acknowledged on Monday that he has been out-of-form recently.

"I've gone five league games without scoring but I've got a lot of motivation to find the net again."

"I am not in my best form physically because I've got problems with a big toe and that is worrying me a little."

"But I am hoping that the pain will disappear and I'll play," added Ronaldo, whose collection of honours is still without a Champions League winners' medal.

"It's a decisive game. We know that Juventus is a great team and is coming to the Bernabeu to win but we are not worried about them."

"We only have to think about ourselves. Just because we lost on Saturday doesn't mean that Juve are arriving at a bad time. After all we've won seven out of our last eight games in the league."

"But we know we have to beat them otherwise the second leg will be very complicated," added Ronaldo.

Despite going from hero to zero in Luxemburgo, and many Real fans', eyes over recent weeks, Ronaldo has still managed to maintain his sense of humour.

"Personally, I've got bad memories of Juventus," he reflected, when asked to run the rule over Real's next opponents.

"I spent five years at Inter Milan and I never won an Italian league title thanks to them," grinned the goofy-toothed Brazilian.