Cristiano Ronaldo sends strong message to critics as Man United gears up to bounce back

The Manchester United squad returned to training this week after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Brighton in the Premier League, and will look to bounce back when the face Brentford this weekend.

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Even as the rumour mill around Cristiano Ronaldo's future continues to rise, the legendary striker has sent out a strong message to critics as Manchester United gears up to bounce back in the Premier League against Brentford on Saturday. The Portugal icon, who had in June expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford for a shot at Champions League glory, returned to training this week along with other squad members, who will hope to put the disappointing 2-1 loss to Brighton behind.

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Manchester United's new boss Erik ten Hag, could not start the 2022–23 season on a winning note in their opening contest. Anthony Martial is yet to make an appearance while recovering from his injury; this may rule the Frenchman out of this weekend's match against Brentford, making way for Ronaldo to be part of the squad again. 

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On Wednesday, all those who played against Brighton were spotted at the Carrington Training Ground. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also worked hard to amplify his fitness levels after missing most of the pre-season for 'family reasons'. Despite speculation over Ronaldo's future with less than three weeks left for the summer transfer window, the Portugal talisman took to Instagram to set his intentions straight.

Image Credit: Cristiano Ronaldo Instagram

"Hard work always pays off 🙏🏽💪🏽," wrote the 37-year-old Portuguese superstar in an Instagram post that showcased photos of Ronaldo training with the Manchester United squad. It appears that the striker has made a note of Ten Hag's comments on his fitness levels following the Brighton loss.

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"It [Ronaldo's fitness] takes time. You cannot force it. He has had one week of training, so it is a little bit more, and he has to do more to get fit. This game will help him with 35/40 minutes. Now we have one week, and he will be better next week," the Manchester United boss had said after the shocking 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

Image Credit: Cristiano Ronaldo Instagram

Whether Ronaldo will start Saturday's away game against Brentford or will Ten Hag choose to bring him on as a substitute - only time will tell. For now, the prolific striker appears focused on doing what is best for his game, i.e. staying fit for the season, regardless of whether he will continue playing for the Red Devils or switch to another European club.