During a match with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo picked up discomfort that forced him to leave the pitch. As result, he has been left out the Portugal squad for their upcoming friendlies later this month.
However, he will be available for selection for the World Cup side when he fully recovers as he seeks to lift the iconic trophy in what will be the last time he plays in the tournament.
Does Ronaldo have to start?
Speaking to BetVictor, Waddle says Martinez will be almost forced to play the 41-year-old who holds so much power in the squad.
“For Roberto Martinez, bringing Ronaldo off the bench for the last 20 minutes is realistic. Ronaldo is brilliant and, obviously, we know he loves his stats, and he wants to play in a tournament, he chases records.
“For Martinez, he's probably thinking, 'I'd like to start someone else and then bring Ronaldo off the bench, where he could win the game in the last 15-20 minutes.'
“He's looked after himself, and going to the World Cup, I know he wants to win it, and he wants to finish on a high. But sometimes you've got to look at the team, and sometimes you may say, 'Look, mate, I'm bringing you off the bench. If I need to, I'm going to bring you off the bench for the last 15-20 minutes because you can change the game quite easily at that stage.’”
“Who knows what he'll do? But I'm sure some days Martinez would think, 'I don't really want to start him, but I've got no option.'”
Ronaldo has been Portugal’s captain since 2008 and is the nation’s all-time leading scorer with 143 goals. He will lead the side at the World Cup despite his age and Martinez is unlikely to bench a player focused on finally going all the way this year.