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Cristiano Ronaldo has been dropped from the Manchester United squad and will not feature against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday (22 October).
Ronaldo walked down the Old Trafford tunnel even before the full-time whistle during United's 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday (19 October). According to Sky Sports, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner disobeyed manager Erik ten Hag by refusing to come in as a late substitute in the game.
Following his antics against Spurs, Ten Hag decided to drop the Portugal forward from the squad which will take on the Blues on Saturday. The Red Devils posted a statement regarding the same on their official website. The statement reads as follows:
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"Cristiano 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."
It is worth mentioning that Ronaldo has since addressed the issue on his social media. The forward claimed that the "heat of the moment" got the better of him on that occasion and will continue to focus on getting better as the season goes on.
Cristiano Ronaldo's absence from the Manchester United squad will not affect the team in a huge way. The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward has started just twice in the Premier League so far this season.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony will be expected to feature as part of the attacking trio against Chelsea. It is worth noting that Anthony Martial is still absent from the team as he continues to recover from a back injury.
The game at Stamford Bridge will be vital for both sides as they look to set the pace for a place in the top four of the Premier League. As things stand, Graham Potter's side occupy the fourth spot in the league and are a point clear of Manchester United in fifth place.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo perform for Manchester United against Chelsea last season?
Cristiano Ronaldo played against Chelsea on two separate occasions in the Premier League last season. The Manchester United No. 7 did not make a goal scoring contribution after he came off the bench in the second half at Stamford Bridge during a 1-1 draw.
Cristiano Ronaldo did find the net against the Blues in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford. The game, however, once again ended in a 1-1 draw.
