"Why not one of the younger players?" - Rangnick explains what Cristiano Ronaldo told him after being substituted against Brentford 

Manchester United manager Ralf Ragnick has come out and explained what transpired between him and Cristiano Ronaldo on the touchline in the game against Brentford.

The Red Devils had secured a 2-0 lead through goals from Anthony Elanga and Mason Greenwood when Ragnick decided to make a tactical switch in the 71st minute.

He took off Cristiano Ronaldo and replaced him with Harry Maguire, much to the chagrin of the Portugal international, who was visibly displeased with the scenario.

Both men engaged in a discussion on the touchline and Ragnick has stated that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner asked him why he did not take off other players.

"The job of a football manager is to help teams win games and, for me, it was clear after the experience we had at Villa Park that this time we had to do things better,"

"The only question was who we take off. Cristiano is a prolific goal scorer and a player who always wants to play and score goals.

"He was also asking ‘why me not one of the younger players?’

"The answer came five minutes later when one of the younger players scored the third goal.

"Maybe Cristiano could also have scored that goal but football is not always ‘maybe’, it’s about getting a decision in the right moment."

Manchester United eventually secured a 3-1 win, with Marcus Rashford stepping off the bench to end his 11-game goal drought.

The incident is the latest in a long line of reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is far from happy on his return to Manchester United.

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Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly unsettled in the Manchester United dressing room

Manchester United secured a 3-1 away victory over Brentford

Ronaldo has come out to criticize some of his teammates' attitudes in recent weeks. Much of the criticism dwelled on the mentality of some of the players and the inability of the younger ones to take corrections from his experience.

This has reportedly led to a chism in the dressing room, with some younger players seemingly more comfortable to discuss with Edinson Cavani (according to the Athletic via Pundit Arena).

Beyond that, Cristiano Ronaldo has also reportedly clashed with Ralf Ragnick over tactical instructions and training patterns.

The incident at Brentford is far from ideal and will lead to yet more unwanted press about the going-ons in the Manchester United dressing room.