Erik ten Hag offers 3-word response when asked if Cristiano Ronaldo will start for Manchester United against Brighton on Sunday
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has refused to be drawn on questions about whether Cristiano Ronaldo will start against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Manchester United will play their first official match under new manager Ten Hag this weekend. They are scheduled to lock horns with Brighton at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday (August 7).
Ten Hag has been preparing for his first season as the Red Devils manager with Anthony Martial as his number 9. The Frenchman started in five of their six friendlies during pre-season, scoring three goals in the process.
However, Martial has picked up a hamstring injury ahead of Manchester United's season opener against Brighton. The forward is thus set to miss the match at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Anthony Martial set to miss Manchester United’s opening Premier League match after picking up hamstring injury.
Minor problem but means Erik ten Hag has a decision to make over centre-forward. Start Cristiano Ronaldo?
@polballus
@TheAthleticUK
#MUFC
theathletic.com/3477001/2022/0…
Centre-forward has now emerged as an area of concern for Ten Hag ahead of the game against Brighton. Cristiano Ronaldo is the only available senior striker, but he played just one match during the pre-season.
Ten Hag was asked about Ronaldo's chances of starting against the Seagulls on Sunday by the media today. The Dutch tactician, though, remained coy on the same. He told a press conference [via the Manchester Evening News]:
"See on Sunday."
Should Ten Hag opt against starting Ronaldo against Graham Potter's side, Marcus Rashford could lead the line for the Red Devils on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United future remains in the air
Cristiano Ronaldo has one more year remaining on his contract with Manchester United. However, he asked the club to allow him to leave if they receive a suitable offer earlier this summer.
The 37-year-old, though, has struggled to find takers for him ahead of the 2022-23 season. Erik ten Hag's side, on the other hand, have insisted that he is not for sale this summer.
Ronaldo missed a good chunk of the Red Devils' pre-season amidst uncertainty over his future. The five-time Ballon d'Or award winner did not report back to Carrington for training until last week.
The Portuguese icon also played just one match for the Old Trafford outfit during the pre-season. He started against Rayo Vallecano last Sunday, but was replaced by Amad Diallo at the start of the second half.
Ronaldo went on to grab headlines as he left the stadium before the match was over on Sunday. It now remains to be seen if Ten Hag will play him against Brighton this weekend amidst all this.