A day after breaking his silence with a moving post on Instagram, goal-machine Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to training at Manchester United after the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was left out of the Red Devil’s squad. The talismanic forward of the Portugal national team will miss Man United’s blockbuster clash against Chelsea in the English Premier League (EPL). Erik ten Hag’s Man United will meet Premier League giants Chelsea on matchday 13 of the English top flight at the Stamford Bridge.
Ronaldo posted an emotional post on Instagram after his decision to walk out on Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur invited sharp criticism from all corners. Nicknamed CR7, the former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar was seen arriving at Carrington training complex as the Portugal captain has been made to train alone following his departure from Man United’s squad.
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“I’ve always tried to set the 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,” the Man United icon wrote on Instagram.
Speaking ahead of Man United’s clash against Chelsea on Friday, head coach Ten Hag has revealed that Ronaldo had refused to come on as a substitute during Manchester United’s match against Spurs at Old Trafford. Though Ten Hag has disciplined Ronaldo by dropping the stalwart from Man United’s squad, the Red Devils manager asserted that CR7 is still an ‘important part of the squad’.
“I have to set standards and values, and control them. I set a warning at the start of the season, and the next time there has to be consequences. Otherwise when you are living together, when you are playing together — and football is a team sport — you have to fulfil certain standards and I have to control it,” Ten Hag told reporters.