Manchester United's game against Leeds at Old Trafford on Sunday has been postponed, meaning they've got just one more fixture to fulfil in September - as things stand, at least.
The Premier League confirmed United's clash against their old rivals will be played at a later date due to the Queen's death. Elizabeth II passed away at her Balmoral estate last Thursday, aged 96. The United Kingdom is in the middle of a 10-day mourning period.
Thousands of police officers are needed in London this coming Sunday ahead of the Queen's funeral the following day, with several events scheduled in honour of the monarch. Millions of people are expected to descend on the capital over the coming days.
United's last Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park was also postponed out of respect for the Queen, along with the rest of last weekend's games. The Football Association suspended all football after Her Majesty's passing, even grassroots games.
Assuming neither the Palace nor Leeds game gets squeezed in between now and the start of October, United have just a single Europa League fixture against Sheriff Tiraspol to negotiate. That means Erik ten Hag can play his strongest team in Moldova.
And right now, it's fair to say Cristiano Ronaldo isn't a guaranteed starter at Old Trafford. The Portugal international, 37, has started just one Premier League game for United this season - the humiliating 4-0 defeat by Brentford in August.
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The Red Devils have since won four consecutive league games - against Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester and Arsenal - and Ronaldo came off the bench in all of those.
The Real Madrid legend did get the opportunity to start against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford last Thursday - a game that was played just hours after the Queen's passing was announced - and he found the back of the net with a brilliant header. Frustratingly for the veteran, that goal was disallowed for offside and United lost 1-0. Ronaldo failed to grasp his chance.
If Ten Hag does play his strongest team against Sheriff - which would be a wise move considering they need to get their first Europa League points - there's a chance Ronaldo might have to wait until October for his chance to score his first goal of the season.
The idea of Ronaldo failing to score during the opening two months of this season would've been unthinkable 12 months ago, but that could become a reality. The Portuguese has dropped a hint that he's in line for a start against Sheriff. "Starting the week with a good feeling," he wrote on Instagram on Monday. Yet that might just be a message for Ten Hag.
If Ronaldo can't break back into United's starting XI before the World Cup starts in November, a move could be on the cards. President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal has confirmed he wants Ronaldo to play in his country.
"We would love to see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the Saudi league," he told The Athletic. "It would bring a huge positive feedback and it would be big news for everyone. I’m sure everyone knows the achievements and records of Cristiano Ronaldo, but also as a player who is a great role model.
"I think, ‘Why not?’ I’m sure it would be a very expensive deal, of course, but we can see our clubs getting higher revenues in the past couple of years. We have already seen some big players who used to play in the Premier League come to the Saudi league. I like Cristiano Ronaldo as a player and I would like to see him play in Saudi Arabia."
Ronaldo's career is at a crossroads. Right now, his aim is getting back into United's starting XI and lead Portugal to glory at the World Cup - perhaps his last chance to win the competition (he turns 41 in 2026, but take nothing for granted when it comes to Ronaldo).
Yet if neither of those things happen during the coming months, Ronaldo could decide to move on. United have a minimum of 13 games remaining before the World Cup starts - and Ronaldo might just have 13 games to save his Premier League career.
