Controversy at Manchester United over Cristiano Ronaldo’s trip to Portugal after being ruled out against City

Cristiano Ronaldo was ruled out of the match between Manchester City and Manchester United due to a sore hip flexor. After learning the news from the technical command, the striker made a move that generated a lot of surprise among all the members of the Old Trafford club.

According to information from The Athletic, as soon as he was notified that he will not be called up to face the ‘Citizens’ on matchday 28 of the Premier League, the attacker left England. The cited source explained that ‘CR7’ boarded a plane to travel to Portugal, the country of his birth.

The sudden decision of Cristiano Ronaldo provoked reactions inside the institution. For some members of the first team, the Portuguese is seen as one of the benchmarks, so they imagined seeing him in the stands of the ‘Citizens’ stadium to support his team off the pitch during the derby.

Immediately, other British newspapers and sports commentators believe that the gunner is no longer committed to the ‘Red Devils’ project. In this sense, they spread messages expressing doubts as to whether the footballer was not really taken into account due to physical problems.

In fact, coach Ralf Rangnick came out to deny those versions. “Our doctor came to see me on Friday morning, before training, and told me that Cristiano couldn’t train because of the problem he has with his hip flexors. The same thing happened to me on Saturday and that is why he could not be part of the squad ”he said at a press conference after losing 4-1 at the Etihad.

Cristiano Ronaldo numbers

In a campaign marked by ups and downs and unexpected absences, Cristiano Ronaldo is Manchester United’s top scorer in the 2021-2022 season. In 30 games played, the striker has scored 15 times: nine in the Premier League and six in the Champions League group stage.

However, 2022 has not been Portuguese, at least in the first three months. Since the start of the year, the attacker has only converted once: against Brighton on February 15 in the Premier League. But the player will have a new opportunity this Saturday in the local tournament against Tottenham, a direct rival in the fight to reach the Champions League.