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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has explained why he decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench against Everton. The Norwegian was on the receiving end of plenty of criticism as Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at Old Trafford before the international break.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who was restricted to the bench for the majority of the game, played a little over 30 minutes after replacing Edinson Cavani in the second half. With Manchester United eventually conceding an equalizer from Andros Townsend and dropping points, Solskjaer was understandably on the firing line.
There was strong criticism directed at the manager from fans and pundits alike for his decision. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo netting a sensational hat-trick for Portugal during the international break added fuel to the fire.
In the wake of the whole episode, Solskjaer has now opened up on why he decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench against Everton. Speaking to reporters at the pre-match press conference before the game against Leicester City, the Manchester United boss commented:
"He's an exceptional player, exceptional finisher, goalscorer, exceptional pro, it's hard to leave him out and I think everyone would love to, how do you say, if you can go and play six games in six days and play the same XI every time, it's great but rotation, we need to get to April/May with everyone firing.
"We got to May in the final stretch of last season and we were too tired. I manage the players for the club. It's nice to have him on the pitch, he'll always come up with the goods. The more we have him on the pitch, the better."
Cristiano Ronaldo will be desperate to make an impression for Manchester United against Leicester
36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo is aging like a fine wine and has enjoyed a spectacular return to Manchester United. The Portuguese has netted five goals in six appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils so far.
With Manchester United slipping to fourth in the Premier League table, the onus will be on Cristiano Ronaldo to help them return to winning ways on Saturday. The 20-time champions face Leicester City away from home and will consider it an opportunity to secure maximum points.
However, Manchester United will be without the services of Raphael Varane, who picked up an injury during the international break. Captain Harry Maguire has returned to training after recovering from his injury, but it remains to be seen if he starts the game against Leicester.
