After a rare day off, Manchester United were back in training on Tuesday - with all eyes fixed on one participant.
Following talks at the club’s Carrington training ground Cristiano Ronaldo was back with his colleagues after being suspended last week. Erik ten Hag handed the punishment to the 37-year-old after he reportedly refused to come on vs Tottenham and walked down the tunnel before the final whistle.
Ronaldo was subsequently banished from first-team training and left out of the travelling party with Chelsea. However, after talks between player and manager, he was back with the rest of the United squad as they prepare for Thursday night’s Europa League clash with FC Sheriff.
A win against the minnows will confirm their place in the knockout stages and set them up for a Group E decider with Real Sociedad next week. Mirror Football takes at a few things spotted from their latest session…and there’s only one place to start.
Guess who’s back?
It was a stand-off which in the end benefitted neither party. Ronaldo was made to look a disruptive influence, while Ten Hag was denied a player who - on his day - is still a game-changing talent.
The Dutchman will have been delighted to put the latest disagreement behind him and instead focus on matters on the pitch. There’s a good chance Ronaldo will be straight back in the XI against Sheriff, with the majority of his minutes coming in Europe.
And like there was no doubt about his feelings as he trudged down the tunnel last week, his beaming smile at least painted the picture of a more content individual. If there was any lingering resentment it certainly wasn't clear as he threw himself into drills in an attempt to make amends for last week's indiscretion
Maguire hopes to take his chance
The furore surrounding Ronaldo meant that club captain Harry Maguire’s return to training last week was somewhat overshadowed. He also missed the trip to Stamford Bridge as he continues to recover from the injury he suffered on international duty.
And following the injury to Raphael Varane - which looks set to rule him out until the World Cup - Maguire has a golden opportunity for another run in the starting XI. Lindelof looks set to have that berh initially, but there is no reason to suggest the 29-year-old can’t force his way back into Ten Hag’s plans between now and the mid-season break next month.
A welcome break
There haven't been too many occasions since his appointment that Ten Hag has been able to afford his troops a chance to take their foot off the pedal. Having replaced Ralf Rangnick, the Dutchman instantly had to implement an entirely new style of play on a squad that had become accustomed to the easy life.
And once the season got underway, it became a case of finishing one match and instantly preparing for another amid an unprecedented fixture pile-up. The Red Devils still have another half dozen matches in the next three weeks and so it made sense that after an energy-sapping clash with Chelsea, the players were given Monday to rest and recover.
The players look to have responded as they were seen being put through their paces with a series of sprinting drills, with Lisandro Martinez leading the pack.
McClaren takes centre stage
While Ten Hag’s predecessors suffered from leaks regarding the quality of sessions on offer at Carrington, players are already reaping the benefits of the current regime's offerings. Rangnick’s assistants were criticised for their methods, but with almost three decades on the sidelines Steve McClaren comes with a wealth of experience.
Despite previously holding the title of England manager, McClaren takes his lead from the manager, but is still an active participant on the training pitch. Ten Hag will often split his large playing staff into a number of groups and while Benni McCarthy oversees the Portuguese speaking players, McClaren deals with those from the rest of Europe, including the likes of Maguire, Christian Eriksen and Luke Shaw.
The battle for midfield places
Four into two doesn’t go. There is now genuine debate over who joins Casemiro in the middle of United’s midfield. After allowing Casemiro to slowly find his feet in English football, the Brazilian is now a sure-fire starter and his influence was clear at Chelsea, even before his dramatic equaliser.
It appears that Christian Eriksen is ahead of the rest when it comes to the role of playing alongside Casemiro, but Fred and Scott McTominay also remain in the mix. Fred in particular was brilliant against Spurs last week and was unlucky to miss out in the capital on Saturday. McTominay’s chances weren’t helped by the concession of a late penalty but he could get another chance to impress on Thursday.
