Manchester United will travel to Stamford Bridge this Saturday to face rivals, Chelsea, without club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been dropped by Manager Erik Ten Haag after storming down the tunnel before the end of Wednesday night’s emphatic 2-0 win over Tottenham. Frustration and lack of game time have got the best of Ronaldo. This has had a huge impact on his performances and as a result, has fallen down the pecking order at The Theatre of Dreams.
A statement by the club has said, “Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that.”
Threat to Man-Unity
According to the Athletic, Cristiano Ronaldo has also been sidelined from Man United’s first-team training after he refused to come on as a substitute and left Old Trafford rather than head to the dressing room.
It is evident that the club’s transition to life without Ronaldo has already begun as he was sitting on the bench against Liverpool, Arsenal, and now Spurs, games that United have won convincingly.
Before the match, Manager Erik Ten Haag had noted Cristiano’s frustration for lack of game time, “I think no player is happy when he [is taken] off, and especially not Ronaldo, I understand that,” said Ten Hag. “As long as it is [done] in quite a normal way, [I have] no problem with that.”
Earlier the manager had been put on the spot in an interview with Amazon Prime Video Sport. In reference to Cristiano after the match, the manager was asked how he would deal with the situation and this was his response:
Should United let Ronaldo leave in January?
Former United Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has noted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s behavior is a distraction to the Red Devils’ transition under the new manager,
“It’s the first time I can say that I am disappointed with him. Normally I back him; I understand his situation,” Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We are in transition. Manchester United are now five managers down the road since Alex Ferguson.
“We have got Erik ten Hag in now who has very clear ideas about the way he wants to play football. We need understanding and time from everyone.
“We don’t need distractions like that, and that’s a disappointment, I would say.”
Despite the stalemate, Ronaldo’s contract could be hard to negotiate, six months before its expiry.
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