Cristiano Ronaldo Axed From Manchester United’s Squad To Face Chelsea, Likely To Leave Club In January

Manchester United's midweek Premier league win at home against Tottenham ended on a sour note as star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was caught leaving the pitch before the full-time whistle.

London: Manchester United’s midweek Premier league win at home against Tottenham ended on a sour note as star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was caught leaving the pitch before the full-time whistle, having remained an unused substitute for the duration of the contest.

The club on Thursday announced in an official statement that the Portuguese footballer will not be a part of the squad for Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea.

In a statement released on the club’s website, the news was confirmed: “Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”

However, the club’s official statement was short and provided no explanation on why this step was taken.

Earlier, a report from The Athletic claimed that the Portugal international had refused to come on as a substitute in United’s midweek fixture against Tottenham and it is now expected that he will be made to train alone.

The player has also released a statement on the matter. He stated, “As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process”

He added, “I started very young, the older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set an example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.”

Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again. 💪🏽🙏🏽

Ronaldo has hit headlines after walking down the tunnel in the 89th minute of the Red Devils’ impressive win over Spurs.

(With input from IANS)

About the Author