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Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly lost allies in the Old Trafford dressing room following his early exit from the win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The 37-year-old dropped back down to the bench for the meeting with Antonio Conte’s side, as Marcus Rashford led the line in that 2-0 victory.
Prior to the final whistle, Ronaldo was pictured leaving the dugout early and heading down the tunnel – not the first time that the Portugal international has done so under Erik ten Hag.
It has since been confirmed that Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against the North London club, and he was dropped from the squad to face Chelsea as a result.
Ronaldo has also been made to train with the Under-21s and could allegedly be set for a £1m fine by the Red Devils, and he appears to have lost the support of his teammates.
According to The Sun – via Marca – Ronaldo no longer has any allies within Ten Hag’s playing squad, who were left frustrated with his attitude towards the end of the win over Spurs.
Ronaldo admitted after the game that he lost his head in the “heat of the moment”, posting on Instagram: “As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed.
“I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision making process. I started very young, the older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me.
“Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.”
Ronaldo has only scored two goals and provided one assist in 12 games this season since allegedly trying and failing to force an exit in the summer, and there is a growing expectation that he will leave the club next year.
Man United do possess the option to extend his contract until the summer of 2024, but an exit on a free transfer at the end of the season is thought to be the most likely outcome.
There has been speculation that Man United could allow Ronaldo to leave midway through the season, but Ten Hag has affirmed that he is counting on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for the remainder of the season.
“I count on Cristiano. I said I don’t want to miss him and I want him to be in the squad and I want him to get involved for every game because he has an impact,” Ten Hag told reporters earlier this week.
Without Ronaldo in the squad, Man United rescued a last-gasp point in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday, as Casemiro’s header just bounced over the line after Jorginho had given Man United the lead from the penalty spot.
Ten Hag’s side remain fifth in the Premier League table following that stalemate, still one point behind the Blues and seven adrift of leaders Arsenal having played a game more.