Ahead of Manchester United's away clash against Chelsea, manager Erik ten Hag has revealed the length of Cristiano Ronaldo's suspension from the squad. The Portuguese striker has been axed from the team after he stormed out of Old Trafford before final whistle during Red Devils' win against Tottenham Hotspur.
Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who created a massive controversy by storming out of Old Trafford before the final whistle during Manchester United's 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, has been axed from the Red Devils' squad for the away clash against Chelsea on Saturday. Ahead of the Premier League game at Stamford Bridge, manager Erik ten Hag has revealed the length of the Portuguese talisman's suspension from the first-team.
Ronaldo faced the 'consquence' of his act of storming down the tunnel on Wednesday's clash without permission at the tail-end during the team's emphatic victory, which sparked massive outbursts among football enthusiasts and pundits. On Friday, Ten Hag confirmed the Portugal legend refused to come on as a substitute before his 'unacceptable' behaviour took attention away from a stellar display by the Red Devils.
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When asked whether Ronaldo would return to United's squad after the trip to west London, Ten Hag told Sky Sports, "Yes, I think it [his suspension] is only for this weekend, this match, and then we will talk, and we will see."
Addressing the situation during his pre-match press conference, the United boss had explained, "What the talk - if you ask about that - is between Cristiano and me. The statement is also clear, I think. He remains an important player in the squad."
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"I am the manager, I am responsible for the culture here and I have to set standards and values and I have to control them. In the team, we have values and standards and I have to control that. After Vallecano, I told him it was unacceptable but not him everyone, this is the second time, there are consequences. We miss him tomorrow. It's a miss for the squad but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group and now we have to focus on Chelsea as that is important," Ten Hag told reporters on Friday.
Ronaldo released a lengthy statement of his on Instagram shortly after, claiming he can do no more than "keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game." The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is frustrated since he hasn't played much this year despite being told to stay after making it apparent he wanted to leave United in the summer.
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When asked why he has not opted for Ronaldo, who was the club's top scorer last season, more in the league, Ten Hag added, "I think he has played over 700 minutes in the season so far which is a respectable number."
"It is not as much as [Jadon] Sancho or [Marcus] Rashford, they have a bit more but not a lot more so we have that group of offensive players and we need rotation because no one can play every game," the United boss concluded. The Red Devils will face FC Sheriff in their Europa League clash at Old Trafford on October 28 (12:30 AM IST). It will be interesting to see if Ronaldo makes it to the starting XI.
