Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag clarified he will deal with Cristiano Ronaldo after he disappeared down the tunnel before full-time against Tottenham.
17.10.2022 - 06:39 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he substituted Cristiano Ronaldo in their 0-0 draw with Newcastle to keep him fresh for upcoming Premier League fixtures against Tottenham and Chelsea.
Ronaldo made way for Marcus Rashford in the 71st minute after another blunt performance in which he was flagged offside, had a goal disallowed and cautioned.
The 37-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the narrow win over Omonia Nicosia on Thursday night and United host Tottenham on Wednesday before travelling to Chelsea on Saturday.
READ NEXT: United player ratings vs Newcastle
Rashford was United's only substitution on a day academy talents Zidane Iqbal and Kobbie Mainoo made their maiden Premier League squad appearances.
"We have to cover four games in 10 days and especially for the strikers, I want to keep them fresh," Ten Hag explained. "I want to keep them all fresh, we have to rotate there.
"Some problems we have - Martial is not available in this moment, then Rashy was not well, so he did not have energy for the whole game, so we had to plan to cover for the four games because we want to win or at least get a result in all four games.
"We didn't have some players; Christian Eriksen not available, Anthony Martial not available, Scott McTominay not available. So that was the feeling I had.
"I brought freshness with Rashy, he had an impact, if he scores the goal everything is right but we have to accept and see this as the next step in our development, our progress, deal with this in the next game and it's a big game."
Ten Hag was reluctant to comment on referee Craig Pawson's performance despite a number of contentious calls inside the penalty area.
United had appeals rejected following challenges by Kieran Trippier on
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag clarified he will deal with Cristiano Ronaldo after he disappeared down the tunnel before full-time against Tottenham.
Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Tottenham in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
Manchester United have been urged to retain Cristiano Ronaldo in their starting XI against Tottenham to counter the tactical approach favoured by opposition manager Antonio Conte.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand criticised Erik ten Hag for his decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo during Sunday's goalless draw with Newcastle United at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message to former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson after they were reunited prior to Sunday’s goalless draw with Newcastle.
Christian Eriksen's absence for Manchester United during Sunday's 0-0 draw with Newcastle has shown just how important the midfielder is for Erik ten Hag.
These are your Manchester United evening headlines for Sunday, October 16.
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has suggested that Erling Haaland is the only player he's ever seen that comes close to the standards set by compatriot and Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Marko Arnautovic's agent has claimed that it was the striker who rejected a move to Old Trafford, rather than Manchester United pulling out of the deal.
Gary Neville and Paul Scholes agree that Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer a permanent fixture in the Manchester United starting XI under Erik ten Hag - but the two former Old Trafford teammates have different thoughts on how the manager handled that situation throughout the summer months.
Manchester United used stoppage time to rescue themselves from an embarrassing draw with Europa League minnows Omonia on Thursday.
Erik ten Hag has named his starting line-up for Manchester United's Europa League tussle with Omonia Nicosia at Old Trafford this evening, making a handful of changes.
Manchester United winger Antony has admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo has helped him settle into life at Old Trafford.
Gary Neville has questioned why Cristiano Ronaldo has not spoken his truth after pledging to do so back in August after the heavy defeat by Brentford.
Manchester United could shuffle their pack for Thursday's Europa League clash with Omonia Nicosia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted his charge from the Football Association, contrary to what Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag initially said.
The creeping dread when you look around a club and realise you're far too old for this. You're struggling to squeeze into those stylish jeans, blowing far too heavily after 10 minutes of five-a-side and left completely bewildered when you discover that Bad Bunny is one of the world's biggest music artists and not, in fact, a naughty rabbit. We all want to hold on to our youth but the realisation that you're no longer young eventually hits us all.
Cristiano Ronaldo's new celebration which he debuted after his goal against Everton was a joke at his own expense.
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly interested in the prospect of potentially making a move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the MLS.
Cristiano Ronaldo made no comment on scoring the 700th goal of his club career after helping Manchester United beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park on Sunday evening, focussing on the win itself instead.