Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Carrington on Friday morning to train with the club’s U21 side after being left out of Manchester United’s Premier League match against Chelsea.
Erik ten Hag has ordered the 37-year-old to train away from the senior squad after he refused to come on as a substitute in their midweek victory over Tottenham.
Ronaldo chose to leave the bench early and walk down the tunnel before the final whistle, eventually leaving Old Trafford while the game was still going on.
United confirmed the following day in a statement that Ronaldo would not be making the trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend.
“Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea,” the statement read. “The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”
The MEN has learned that Ronaldo arrived at Carrington on Friday morning at 8.30am alongside the club’s U21 players. He is anticipated to train with the Reserves because no members of the first team were in attendance.
In a post on Instagram on Thursday night, Ronaldo said: “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
“Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again.”
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