Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old was left out of the starting lineup at Old Trafford, with Marcus Rashford prefered in the centre.
Ronaldo exited the tunnel before the end of his team’s 2-0 win, and it is alleged he also left the stadium before the final whistle.
According to a later report, Ten Hag did not use the Portugal international because he refused to come on as a late sub.
When asked if Ronaldo had refused to play against Antonio Conte’s team during his press conference on Friday afternoon, the Dutchman said “yes.”
The veteran attacker has been left out of the squad for Saturday’s match against Chelsea and has been training separately from the first-team squad since the incident.
What Did Erik Ten Hag Say About Ronaldo?
“What’s the talk if you ask about that is between Cristiano and me. I think the statement is also clear,” said Ten Hag when asked what happened when he spoke to the Portuguese.
The Dutchman then insisted that Ronaldo remains an “important part of the squad” amid suggestions that the former Sporting Lisbon has played his final match for the club.
“Yes. That’s also in the statement. He remains an important part of the squad,” he said as quoted in a report.
Related: Cristiano Ronaldo Issues Statement After Being Dropped From Man United Squad
“How we did. I’m the manager. I’m responsible for the culture and I have to set standards and values, and I have to control them. We are in a team and in a team we have standards and values, and we have to control it. So after Rayo Vallecano I said it was not acceptable, but he was not the only one,” said the coach.
“That was for everyone. So when it’s the second time, that will have consequences, and that is what we did. So we miss him tomorrow and that is a miss for us and the squad.
“It’s a miss, but I think it’s important for the attitude for the mentality for the group, and now we have to focus on Chelsea and that is the most important [thing].”
“I think it will have a reflection, for him, but also for everyone else. I set a warning at the start of the season, and the next time it has to be consequence, otherwise when you are living together, when you are playing together – and football is a team sport – you have to fulfil certain standards. And I have to control it.
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