Cristiano Ronaldo: Ten Hag's stance on wantaway Man Utd striker
James Shearman
- Updated: 12 Aug 2022 12:54 CDT
- 3 min read
Erik ten Hag remains hopeful that Cristiano Ronaldo will buy into his project at Manchester United, according to reports.
The Dutch boss knows that if Ronaldo is forced to stay at Old Trafford, he will continue to give his all for the club.
However, Ten Hag has not given up hope on the Portugal international changing his mind on the Red Devils, according to journalist Manu Sainz.
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Ronaldo has been looking for an exit this summer, given that United are not competing in the Champions League.
The 37-year-old's options are few and far between, however, with the likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid turning down the chance to sign him.
It now looks as though he will stay in Manchester for at least another season.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo start for Man Utd against Brentford?
Cristiano Ronaldo could make his first Manchester United start of the season against Brentford on Saturday, despite ongoing questions over his long-term commitment to the club.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has spent the summer pushing to leave Man Utd but may be forced to stay because of a lack of alternatives.
He missed much of pre-season and was absent from the tour to Thailand and Australia.
He made his return to action a week before the Premier League season began, during a friendly with Rayo Vallecano, but was made to sit on the bench for the first 50 minutes of last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton, despite the fact that the Red Devils lacked a centre forward.
✅ Erik ten Hag knows that Cristiano Ronaldo will reluctantly stay at #mufc, but he does not lose hope of Ronaldo being involved in his project. @Manu_Sainz 🇵🇹
— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) August 12, 2022
Manager Erik ten Hag preferred to play Christian Eriksen as a false 9 against the Seagulls as Anthony Martial missed out because of injury.
The Frenchman will again be missing this weekend, Ten Hag has confirmed, but does that mean Ronaldo will start?
"So he had a good training week," Ten Hag explained, referencing Ronaldo. "I thought he played a little bit longer than half an hour; he's had two half games and for the starting XI we will see tomorrow. My decision, I keep it.”
Following last weekend’s loss against Brighton, Ten Hag is already under pressure to gain a positive result.
Ronaldo’s presence on the field made a difference to the team a week ago, and the odds must be in favour of the Portuguese starting this encounter.
Known for his fitness levels, even at the age of 37, Ronaldo’s greatest issue is likely to be a lack of match sharpness.
