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Football pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes Cristiano Ronaldo will start for Manchester United against Newcastle United.
The Red Devils will host the Magpies at Old Trafford on Sunday, October 16, in a Premier League encounter. Both teams are separated by only a solitary point, with United in fifth place and Newcastle in sixth in the league standings.
Erik ten Hag's team beat Everton 2-1 in their most recent match, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting the game-winner, which was also his 700th career club goal. The Portuguese notably came on for Anthony Martial in the first half after the Frenchman suffered an injury.
The Independent has since reported that Martial could be fit for the clash against Newcastle.
During a conversation with FairBettingSites, Murphy was asked if Manchester United would start Martial over Ronaldo if the former is fit. The BBC and talkSPORT pundit didn't think that would be the case and said:
"I don’t think if you’re coming off that early, you’re going to be fit for the game after, I’d be absolutely amazed if he [Martial] started."
United have looked a better unit with Martial in their ranks, both in pre-season and during the ongoing campaign. However, Murphy believes the quick turnaround time between fixtures may lead to him missing out on a starting berth and added:
"I think that that selection headache will look after itself. I think even if he did recover in time, you’re not going to be able to train for a few days anyway, whatever the injury is. So, it would make sense to keep Ronaldo and he’s just scored the winner."
He concluded:
"If Ronaldo wasn’t starting next week, I would find that strange."
Despite playing more games, Cristiano Ronaldo has endured a less prolific season than Anthony Martial. The Portuguese superstar has scored twice and assisted once in 10 matches across all competitions for Manchester United this term.
Martial, meanwhile, has recorded three goals and two assists in just four appearances in all competitions.
Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo will face a stiff challenge against Newcastle United
While Manchester United edged past Everton at Goodison Park last weekend, Newcastle United thrashed Brentford 5-1 at St. James' Park.
The Magpies are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches and have scored 11 goals during that run. They are also one of only two teams to take points off title favorites Manchester City.
It's worth noting that United will get a chance to build some momentum before their match against Newcastle. They will take on Omonia Nicosia in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday (Oct. 13) at Old Trafford. Regardless, Eddie Howe's team will present a completely different challenge in what should be an engaging contest.
The last match between Manchester United and Newcastle United was in December 2021 and ended in a 1-1 draw. Allan Saint-Maximin opened the scoring in the first half at St. James' Park, while Edinson Cavani equalized after the break.
Anthony Martial missed that game as he was on loan at Sevilla, while Cristiano Ronaldo played the entire 90 minutes for the Red Devils.
