Ronaldo was troubled by a hip injury in the buildup to the Manchester derby.
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly flew to Portugal after learning he would play no part in Manchester United’s derby with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
Many had expected the 37-year-old to lead United’s attack at the Etihad. However, it was clear before the starting lineups had been confirmed for the game that Ronaldo was not with the rest of Ralf Rangnick’s squad.
According to The Athletic, it is believed Ronaldo returned to his homeland once his absence for the derby became clear, having reported the recurrence of a hip flexor problem injury in the days leading up to the game.
While it is not always typical for injured players to attend matches, his decision to leave the country for such an important fixture is said to have surprised some of his United teammates.
United endured a difficult afternoon and were convincingly beaten by their neighbours, whose dominant second half display saw them run out 4-1 winners.
With Edinson Cavani also unavailable for the game, Rangnick had surprisingly decided against starting Marcus Rashford and deployed Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes as false nines.
The same report says United’s players had worked on this system throughout the week – even before Ronaldo’s hip injury had surfaced.
United return to action next Saturday when they host Tottenham at Old Trafford. Their patchy form coupled with Arsenal’s resurgence means the game is a must-win if they are to keep alive their fading hopes of finishing in the top four this season.
Arsenal’s win at Watford earlier on Sunday afternoon saw them leapfrog United to move into fourth. Mikel Arteta’s side are a point ahead with three games in hand.
