Cristiano Ronaldo has inadvertently handed a golden opportunity to one of Manchester United’s brightest young talents as a result of his refusal to obey Erik ten Hag earlier this week. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner chose not to come on as a substitute during United’s win over Tottenham on Wednesday evening before storming out of Old Trafford and has since been dropped from Ten Hag’s matchday squad to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the weekend.
The United boss revealed that Ronaldo will not be involved against Chelsea in a press conference on Thursday, while the 37-year-old was also ordered to train with the club’s under-21 side on Friday. Ronaldo’s absence from the senior squad this weekend has seen Zidane Iqbal given the chance to step up as part of the 20-man squad that Ten Hag has chosen to travel to London, according to the Manchester Evening News.
It is claimed that Iqbal was spotted with the rest of the United players at Manchester Airport on Friday evening as they made their way south ahead of Saturday’s fixture. Ronaldo was, as expected, nowhere to be seen after being told to stay at home by Ten Hag, although it remains to be seen whether Iqbal will be able to shine in his absence if he gets the opportunity to play.
The 19-year-old turned plenty of heads during United’s pre-season tour of Australia earlier this year and has long been touted as one of the club’s most exciting academy stars. He is unlikely to be handed a starting berth against Chelsea but could well be looking to make an impact from the bench if he is called upon during the latter stages of the match.
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Meanwhile, it seems as though Ronaldo may have already played his last game for United after his latest show of disrespect against Tottenham in midweek. It marked the second time in less than three months that Ronaldo had left a United game before the final whistle after previously doing so against Rayo Vallecano in a pre-season friendly.
Ten Hag was thought to have been left particularly furious with Ronaldo’s premature exit from Old Trafford, according to The Guardian, with the Dutch manager having insisted after the first occasion in July that an early walkout must never happen again. Ronaldo went on to post a lengthy statement to his Instagram account on Thursday in which he expressed his desire to keep his head down as he strives to earn back his regular place in the United side.
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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,” said Ronaldo. “Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.
“Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. 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.”
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