Cristiano Ronaldo responded to Erik ten Hag's decision to drop him from the Manchester United starting XI to take on Liverpool in the Monday Night Football - and also appeared to snub Jamie Carragher.
The 37-year-old has been named as a substitute alongside club captain Harry Maguire in one of four changes from the United side that were thumped 4-0 at Brentford. Fred and Luke Shaw have also been hooked, with Scott McTominay, Anthony Elanga, Tyrell Malacia and Raphael Varane all coming into the team.
When warming up ahead of the game at Old Trafford, Ronaldo bumped into former United midfielder Roy Keane, who asked him why he has been left out of the side to take on Jurgen Klopp's side. Ronaldo said: "What do you want me to do?"
The Portuguese superstar also refused to do an interview with Sky Sports after being asked by presenter David Jones, as he quickly snubbed the chat and returned to training with his United teammates on the Old Trafford pitch. Gary Neville also caught a moment with Ronaldo, while the former Real Madrid man completing ignored Carragher.
Some may argue that the decision to drop Ronaldo comes as a bit of a shock game, after the United boss discussed his immediate club future and quashed any talk of the player edging for an imminent exit. Instead, he claimed he hopes to fit the forward into his system, though his team selection would suggest the opposite.
"That’s not what he’s telling us," the Dutchman explained when addressing reports of Ronaldo's unrest before the game.
"We plan with him and that has reasons, he scores goals. We are happy with him, we have to fit him in the system and the way we’re playing. That is what he’s trying and we’re trying."
Ten Hag went on to address reports that Ronaldo is preparing for a tell-all interview which will touch on the relentless reports over one of the transfer sagas of the summer as recent speculation suggests the Premier League legend is actually struggling to find any willing suitors for his signature.
Pressed for comment on the potential interview, the United boss said: " I don’t know what he wants to achieve with that so if you want to know that you have to ask him."
This all comes off the back of rumours heavily linking Ronaldo with a move away from United this summer. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner wants to leave the Red Devils in search of Champions League football and it is reported that he is unhappy with the club's lack of urgency in the transfer target, with United making just three signings before Casemiro arrived in a big-money move from Real Madrid.
