Ronaldo dropped AGAIN: Ten Hag explains Man Utd star's latest absence
FT Desk
- Updated: 19 Oct 2022 21:38 BST
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo once again found himself watching from the sidelines as Manchester United faced their latest Premier League test on Wednesday.
The veteran forward had been restored to the first team at the weekend after finally opening his league account with a vital goal against Everton off the bench.
But United and Ronaldo found no way past Newcastle United in a dour 0-0 draw that frustrated their efforts to close in on a Champions League space.
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For Wednesday's game the ex-Real Madrid and Juventus ace was left to warm the bench again as manager Erik ten Hag favoured Marcus Rashford as his team's sole striker against Tottenham.
It has been a familiar role for Ronaldo, who has started just two of United's 10 Premier League matches to date.
And Ten Hag suggested that the 37-year-old was not dynamic enough to play a starring role in his team.
Why was Ronaldo dropped?
"Marcus [Rashford] was ill at the weekend, he was not available for 90 minutes," the manager told MUTV.
"Otherwise, he would have started on Sunday. You saw at the moment Marcus came in, we were getting more dynamic in front.
That's what we need today, to break the lines, but also to build up this game and in the end, we know we have a threat from the bench with Cristiano [Ronaldo] to finish the game.”
In total Ronaldo has featured in 12 games for United this season, including four Europa League games against such unfamiliar opponents as Sheriff of Moldova and Cyprus' Omonia Nikosia.
His goal tally sits at just two, and following widespread speculation over his United future this summer he is likely to once more be linked to the exit when the window re-opens in January.
