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Cristiano Ronaldo could miss out when Manchester United host Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday. According to the Manchester Evening News, the 37-year-old forward was not part of United's team meet-up at the Lowry Hotel ahead of their game at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo guided Portugal to a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the recently concluded international break. The Euro 2016 winners secured qualification by beating North Macedonia 2-0 in the playoff final. They had beaten Turkey 3-1 in the semifinals.
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes in both the games. However, he failed to score in any of the two playoff games Portugal competed in.
It seems highly probable that the 37-year-old forward will miss out on Manchester United's game against Leicester. On top of Ronaldo's absence, manager Ralf Rangnick has also revealed that Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani is unavailable for the game as well. He suffered a knock on international duty.
This will leave the interim manager with very few options to start in attack. As things stand, the only three available frontline players are Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga and Marcus Rashford.
Manchester United also have the option to start Cristiano Ronaldo's compatriot Bruno Fernandes in an advanced position. The 27-year-old recently scored twice in the playoff final to guide his country to the World Cup and also penned a new five-year contract.
It is worth mentioning that Rangnick did use Bruno Fernandes as a forward during United's 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City. Ronaldo had missed that game due to a hip injury.
The Red Devils will be looking to avenge their defeat to Leicester City earlier this season. They suffered a 4-2 defeat at the King Power Stadium back in October, which eventually ended the Red Devils' record away unbeaten streak of 29 games.
United will be desperate to secure all three points to keep their top-four hopes alive. As things stand, they are currently sixth in the Premier League standings, having amassed 50 points from 29 matches. The Red Devils are currently trailing fourth-placed Arsenal by four points. The Gunners, however, do have a game in hand.
Cristiano Ronaldo remains Manchester United's leading goalscorer this season
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently Manchester United's leading goalscorer this season despite only signing for them last summer. As things stand, the Portuguese forward has scored 18 goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo still has one year remaining on his Manchester United contract. However, failing to qualify for the Champions League might see him leave Old Trafford in the summer. As per the latest reports, United might allow the Portuguese to leave on a free transfer this summer.
