"I’d be amazed to see him there in February" - Pundit says Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and manager Erik ten Hag will have a 'mature' discussion about future

Football pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy expects Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window.

Ronaldo has mostly been used as a bench player by Erik ten Hag, something he has never had to do previously in his illustrious career. Speaking to FairBettingSites about the Portuguese superstar's situation at Manchester United, Murphy said:

"He must be thinking his times up there. I feel for him a bit because you do want to play every game and he’s earned the right to play. He’s earned the right to finish his career in somebody’s starting 11. So, that begs the question of why they kept him."

Despite questioning why the Red Devils kept him, Murphy feels Ronaldo might get a short run of games in the build-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The BBC pundit feels this could be the case due to injuries to his teammates and formation changes within the Red Devils' squad. He said:

"The irony being, with [Anthony] Martial’s injury and [Marcus] Rashford being picked on the left ahead of [Jadon] Sancho, then maybe he’ll start the next game. I’d be surprised if he didn’t, so he’s probably going to get a little run in the team.

"The focus for Ronaldo will be to keep himself right and sharp, ready for the World Cup because he’s obviously still a major player for Portugal. He’s probably going to get his head down until then."

Murphy went on to suggest that Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag could have a mature conversation about a smooth exit for the former in January.

"He’s not going to be Ten Hag’s first choice when everyone’s fit, and I think we can see that. So, I think in January he’ll be looking at finding a solution to his lack of game time.

"I’d be amazed to see him there in February. I think it’s a mature conversation between player and manager and then the club making the decision."

Great win guys!
Another step in the right direction! 🙏🏽
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How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Manchester United this season?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United were involved in a summer filled with rumors.

Ronaldo missed much of the Red Devils' pre-season due to personal reasons and even requested the club to let him go. However, a lack of potential suitors saw him stay on at Old Trafford for at least another half a season.

The superstar forward came off the bench in United's Premier League opening-day defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion before starting their 4-0 hammering at Brentford. Erik ten Hag then chose to put his faith in the younger players as Cristiano Ronaldo settled for appearances off the bench.

Our no.7️⃣ celebrated his 7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th club goal in unique fashion on Sunday night...

😴 @Cristiano

#MUFC || #PL

Overall, he has played 10 times across competitions for Manchester United this season, scoring two goals and laying out an assist in 529 minutes of action.