Cristiano Ronaldo out of Manchester United squad after stalking down tunnel before end of game
Cristiano Ronaldo will not play for Manchester United against Chelsea this weekend, and has reportedly been told to train alone after stalking down an Old Trafford tunnel and leaving the stadium before Wednesday's match against Tottenham had finished.
As United wrapped up a 2-0 win, Ronaldo trudged away from the bench in the 90th minute after reportedly refusing to enter as a late-game substitute. United, at the time, had two substitutions remaining.
When his teammates returned to the locker room to celebrate, Ronaldo was reportedly nowhere to be found, having left Old Trafford entirely.
His apparent petulance distracted from one of United's most impressive performances of the season. Afterward, when asked about Ronaldo, manager Erik Ten Hag said he'd "deal with that tomorrow.”
On Thursday, Ronaldo was separated from the rest of United's players at training, according to a report from The Athletic. United then announced that "Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea."
"The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture," the club said in a two-sentence statement.
Ronaldo, unwanted and benched, continues 'unacceptable' behavior
Previously, amid a push to leave United this summer, Ronaldo left Old Trafford before a preseason game had concluded. On that occasion, Ten Hag called Ronaldo's behavior “unacceptable," but continued to try to work with him as a prominent member of the squad.
After an embarrassing 4-0 loss at Brentford on the season's second weekend, though, Ten Hag benched Ronaldo, and United's performances instantly improved. After agent-driven transfer rumors came to nothing, he remained at United but out of the starting lineup for six consecutive league games.
He came off the bench to score his first goal of the season at Everton on Oct. 9. Ten Hag rewarded him with a start against Newcastle last weekend. But United looked sluggish and toothless with Ronaldo leading the line in a 0-0 draw.
United has earned just one point from the two Premier League games he has started. With Marcus Rashford and others starting up front — and more willing and able press and stretch an opposing defense — United has taken 19 points from its other eight games.
Ten Hag, even before Wednesday's incident, has reportedly been willing to let Ronaldo leave the club. But at 37 years old and declining, with a massive ego and astronomical salary, no Champions League-caliber club has been genuinely interested.
Ronaldo responds to controversy
On Thursday evening, Ronaldo wrote his first public words since stalking down the tunnel. He did not directly address the incident in an Instagram post, but said, in part: "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 get’s the best of us.
"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington [United's training ground], support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game," he concluded. "Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again."
