Cristiano Ronaldo granted additional time off to deal with family issue as Manchester United name 31-man squad for pre-season tour
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo has been granted additional time off to deal with a family issue ahead of the club's pre-season tour to Thailand.
Ronaldo, who joined his former club from Juventus on a two-year deal last summer, has been the talk of the town this summer. Earlier this month, he expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford in the ongoing transfer window to pursue UEFA Champions League action at another club.
According to The Sun, Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has accepted that he will have to plan for the future without the services of the Portuguese star. The report also stated that the club hierarchy are now open to letting the player depart this summer to avoid a long, drawn-out transfer saga.
Cristiano Ronaldo featured in Man Utd's kit launch video this morning 👀
What does the future hold for Ronaldo? 🤔 https://t.co/zEI9AmXYVp
Ten Hag has announced a 31-man traveling squad for the club's pre-season matches in Thailand and Australia. According to a club statement, captain Harry Maguire, midfielder Bruno Fernandes and new signing Tyrell Malacia will be on the flight to Asia in the coming days.
As for youth players, a total of 13 academy graduates will be involved in the tour, including Alejandro Garnacho, Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage. Tahith Chong, James Garner and Ethan Laird, who all returned from loan spells, are also expected to get some pre-season minutes under their belt.
However, centre-back Phil Jones and left-back Brandon Williams have been forced to stay behind at Carrington due to their respective injury issues.
OFFICIAL: Erik ten Hag has named his 31-man squad to travel to Thailand and Australia for Man Utd's pre-season fixtures!
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(@ManUtd) https://t.co/CH2AUTbRhh
Manchester United are set to lock horns with rivals Liverpool in their first pre-season friendly on July 12 in Thailand. Later on, the Red Devils will open their 2022-23 Premier League campaign at home against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 7.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo criticized by talkSPORT pundit
Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has hit out at Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the player only cares about himself and not his club.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor opined about the ongoing transfer saga involving the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. He said:
"I'm not surprised one bit, he doesn't want to play in the Europa League. The last few years of his career, he wants to play in the Champions League. But if I was a Manchester United fan, the biggest disappointment would be that he doesn't care about Manchester United, he cares about Ronaldo."
Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in signing the Portuguese star, as per ESPN.