Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has future in doubt after missing Manchester derby
According to The Sun, Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo has his future at the club in serious doubt after missing the Manchester derby last weekend.
United sorely missed Ronaldo in the game against Manchester City as they were beaten 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium, in what was perhaps one of the side’s worst performances this season. The second half of the game saw no shots taken by the away side, and they barely had any possession.
Ronaldo was said to be livid after being dropped by interim manager Ralf Rangnick for the derby, though his absence from the starting lineup was said to be due to an injury suffered before the game.
The Portuguese superstar was understood to then fly to his native Portugal to recover from the hip flexor injury, despite his head coach insisting that all first-team players complete their injury rehabilitation in Manchester rather than abroad.
Ronaldo future up in the air
The former Real Madrid star has not had the best season in 2022, barely finding the back of the net and looking low on confidence and form of late – something that is usually never associated with the Portugal skipper.
At 37, he is not the club’s youngest player to take to the field, but is known for his physical prowess and desire to maintain himself in immaculate condition. He has hardly missed any games for the Red Devils this term, which is why his injury issue before one of the biggest games of the season came as a shock to many.
Ronaldo’s issues in front of the net has had a direct impact on the team, with the Manchester side struggling to score goals. The ex-Juventus player was brought in to fire the club to glory with his goals, but after a good start to the season, he has waned in his output.
United’s problems don’t end at Ronaldo however, with the club’s other senior striker Edinson Cavani also unable to replicate the form that we all know and expect from him due to various injury issues this season. The Uruguayan has barely featured this campaign, and the pressure has been on Ronaldo to cover for Cavani at times.
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Despite only moving to the club the previous summer, the news about United’s No. 7 exiting the club after just one season will shock many. His second spell at Old Trafford was supposed to bring trophies and goals, but both have gone missing so far.
Though the player himself has not talked of a move away from Manchester, his attitude on the field and his decision to fly out to Portugal instead of staying with his teammates will raise questions about his commitment to the squad. Hopefully, we still see the forward at the Theatre of Dreams next season as well.
