Cristiano Ronaldo admits he does not know if Jose Mourinho will stay at Real Madrid

Mourinho has been linked with a return to Chelsea

Cristiano Ronaldo admits he does not know what Jose Mourinho's future holds beyond this season but believes his under-pressure compatriot's winning mentality will see him continue as Real Madrid coach at least until the end of the current campaign.

Mourinho has found himself under fire with Madrid's title defence in tatters after falling 16 points behind arch rivals Barcelona in La Liga.

There has also been speculation of discontent among the players at the Bernabeu, while Mourinho's recent decision to drop long-serving club captain Iker Casillas did not go down well with supporters.

However, while there may be some question marks about Mourinho's long-term future with the Spanish giants, Ronaldo feels his fellow Portuguese will not be leaving any time soon.

Asked if he knows what Mourinho will do once the season finishes, Ronaldo told AS: "I don't know. I think he will continue until the end of the season at least, because he's a coach who always wants to win and we have several challenges ahead which we can achieve.

"After that he will decide what's best for him, for his professional group and for the club. But I don't know what either he or the club thinks and therefore I prefer not to talk about this subject."

Madrid face Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie next week, while they are locked at 1-1 heading into the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final clash with Barca.

Ronaldo was also keen to move on following reports of a row between him and Mourinho last month, adding: "It's a very personal issue, it's sorted and everything's fine. Things that happen in the dressing room stay in the dressing room."

PA