Manchester United player pictured wearing Cristiano Ronaldo's number 7 jersey during training session

Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey number might have a new (temporary) taker.
Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey number might have a new (temporary) taker.

Manchester United right-back and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal teammate Diogo Dalot was spotted wearing his number seven jersey while training in Perth on their pre-season tour.

Manchester United are currently in Australia on their pre-season tour. They started off the tour with three wins out of three and will take on Aston Villa in their next assignment on Saturday, July 23.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the only Red Devil who is not on the tour. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has cited ‘family reasons’ for his absence and is reported to be looking for a move away from the club.

Dalot was spotted sporting the number seven in his tracksuit during a training session at the WACA Stadium in Perth. Dalot was previously seen wearing the number 20 jersey and tracksuit during the tour.

Diogo Dalot was seen sporting the number 7 jersey in Perth.
Diogo Dalot was seen sporting the number 7 jersey in Perth.

According to United in Focus, Dalot had only temporarily worn the number and may have done so as a tribute to the Portugal teammate.

Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to stay back at the club and has been linked to a number of Champions League playing sides in recent weeks.

Manchester United and Erik ten Hag off to strong start despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence

Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly offered him to a number of clubs in the past few weeks. But the Portuguese ace has struggled to find a club willing to take him on so far.

While his presence could have been extremely useful for the new team under Ten Hag, Manchester United have looked strong on their pre-season tour so far.

The team have shown a willingness to play out from the back and have maintained a high defensive line out of possession. The full-backs have shown newfound energy and have been willing to make forward runs whenever possible. The team has also looked fluid in attack and created chances at will in the three games.

Ten Hag has suggested that there is plenty of scope for improvement. As Manchester United get used to the new manager’s system, several old faces are expected to play an important role as well. This includes Anthony Martial, who potentially has one final season to prove his worth at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Fred, Jadon Sancho, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and several other players will come into the new season with points to prove. While more new signings are expected, the team might be able to exceed expectations if some of the already-present players at the club show drastic improvement.

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Edited by S Chowdhury