Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Manchester United squad to face Atletico Madrid in pre-season friendly
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo will not take part in Manchester United's penultimate game of their pre-season against Atletico Madrid in Oslo tomorrow.
According to the Independent, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been excluded from the club's squad for the game against Diego Simeone's side.
There are question marks regarding the Portuguese's future at Old Trafford. Reports have suggested that Ronaldo is eager to join a club that can offer him Champions League football next season.
Cristiano Ronaldo isn't included in Manchester United's squad for their friendly against Atletico Madrid 😬 https://t.co/TuhcLWGnkB
United signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus for £13 million last summer in the hope that he would be able to lead them to a Premier League title. The 37-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2021-22 campaign, scoring 24 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.
Despite the veteran forward's consistent displays, the Red Devils endured a dismal season. United finished sixth in the Premier League last term, failing to qualify for next season's Champions League.
The club have hired Erik ten Hag as their new manager and have set the Dutchman the task of rebuilding the squad. The Premier League giants have signed Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez this summer.
The Red Devils have enjoyed an impressive pre-season tour thus far. They have done so without the services of Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to turn up for the club's training camp on July 4 due to 'family reasons'.
The 37-year-old returned to Carrington earlier this week with his agent Jorge Mendes to hold talks regarding his future at Manchester United. The 13-time Premier League champions are believed to be reluctant to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo, who still has one year remaining on his contract.
Manchester United boss Ten Hag unlikely to entertain Cristiano Ronaldo's antics
As per ESPN, Erik ten Hag joined Manchester United after agreeing with the club that he will be granted 'control' over the Red Devils' transfer business. Similarly, the Dutchman will also be keen to exercise control over his squad and maintain discipline and professionalism at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman is, therefore, unlikely to tolerate Cristiano Ronaldo's antics and will want to set an example for the rest of the players at the club. The 37-year-old could be left out of Manchester United's squad for their upcoming games until he commits his future to the club.
Should Man United let Cristiano Ronaldo go? 🤔 https://t.co/UnQaXNAITX
Ten Hag could opt to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for his side's opening game of the season against Brighton on August 7 if the Portuguese star remains at the club.
Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho could start in a front three against the Seagulls. The trio have been in scintillating form during the pre-season.