Football: Ronaldo excluded from Manchester United group for the match against Chelsea

Europe 1 with AFP 11:16 p.m., October 20, 2022

The penalty fell.

Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from Manchester United's squad for Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea after he decided to leave before the end of the game against Tottenham (2-0) on Wednesday.

Ronaldo, replacing against Spurs, had left the stadium before the end of the match.

"Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of Manchester United's squad for this Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for this game," Manchester United wrote in a statement on Thursday.

"Settle the Question"

According to English journalists, the 37-year-old Portuguese star told his coach Erik ten Hag, with whom he has a strained relationship, that he did not want to come into play in the final minutes of the match against Tottenham.

The Dutch manager said after the encounter that he would 'settle' the matter (this) on Thursday and would, according to some media, have the backing of his management in his choice to rule out Ronaldo for the game at Chelsea.

Since the end of last season and the Reds Devils' failure to qualify for the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo has been looking to leave the northern English club.

But his wish to join a team engaged in the Champions League could not succeed.

A possible departure

The five-time Ballon d'Or had missed the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia officially for family reasons.

And in a friendly against Rayo Vallecano in July in Manchester, his first game under Ten Hag, he had already left before the end of the match after being substituted at half-time.

The next winter transfer window, which could interest both Ronaldo and his leaders, will take place from January 1 to 31, 2023.