I’m done! Cristiano Ronaldo agrees to start against Brighton in Manchester United’s season opener at Old Trafford, while head coach Erik ten Hag weighs whether to play up front willfully
- Cristiano Ronaldo posts on Instagram and declares that he is ready for the new season
- Erik ten Hag forced the question of whether the Portuguese should start against Brighton
- Ronaldo played just 45 minutes of pre-season ahead of the new season
- The 37-year-old has called for leaving Old Trafford this summer but is still at the club
Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed for Manchester United’s opener against Brighton on Sunday, forcing Erik ten Hag to make a crucial decision on whether to play the Portuguese star.
The 37-year-old has spent the summer planning a move from Old Trafford and has missed United’s pre-season tour of Asia and Australia for “family reasons”.
Ronaldo has played just 45 minutes for the club in pre-season, putting him behind the rest of the United squad in terms of fitness ahead of the new season.
Cristiano Ronaldo declared himself ready for Brighton with this post on his Instagram stories
Erik ten Hag knocked out Ronaldo at half-time in United’s 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano last weekend to protect him on his first run under his reign.
However, the United star has attempted to force the Dutchman’s hand by posting a picture of himself from that game with the word ‘ready’ written on its side. He even added the praying emoji and bicep flexing emoji to hammer his message home.
The Instagram story appears to be a clear indication for Ten Hag that Ronaldo feels ready to play and increases the pressure on the new United boss to play Ronaldo for the Seagulls visit.
Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a clear message to Erik ten Hag regarding his availability on Sunday
Manchester United’s new manager has a big decision to make ahead of the club’s season opener
The situation is further complicated by Anthony Martial’s injury. The Frenchman, who was in red-hot form last season, has torn his thigh and will miss the Red Devils’ season opener.
His injury leaves United with few options in attack and it means Ten Hag could turn to Ronaldo rather than face the potential drama that would ensue if he left the striker on the bench.
Ronaldo is said to have worked with the club’s training staff to regain his fitness but it would still avoid a risk playing against someone who had so little playing time over the summer.
Cristiano played just 45 minutes in Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano last week
Anthony Martial has been ruled out of the game against Brighton after tearing his hamstring
The Portuguese superstar has failed so badly in his attempt to leave Man Utd this summer that Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are all ruling out a move for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
There have been reports of big lucrative offers from afar for Cristiano but the United icon still believes he has what it takes to play for a Champions League club.
The Red Devils go into Sunday’s game to avenge a 4-0 defeat by Brighton in their penultimate game of last season.
Ronaldo started this game but it remains unclear if Erik ten Hag will bow to his social media post and include him in his team picks.
