Cristiano Ronaldo is not expected at Manchester United training on Monday due to ‘family reasons’, the club say.
Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford has come under the microscope after it emerged this weekend that the 37-year-old has told United he wishes to leave this summer.
The Portugal international wishes to play Champions League football again next season following United’s failure to secure a top-four Premier League finish.
Despite Ronaldo’s desire to leave, United have publicly insisted that he is not for sale and reiterated that he has a year remaining on his Old Trafford contract.
United are understood to have accepted Ronaldo’s explanation for missing training on Monday, when the rest of those first team players involved in June’s internationals will report back to the club.
Ronaldo had been set to train under Erik ten Hag for the first time and is set for talks with United’s new manager regarding his future when he returns.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward’s absence will only fuel speculation that he will leave Old Trafford this summer, even though it is unclear whether other top European clubs would be willing to sanction a move.
Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Napoli have all been creditied with an interest in Ronaldo, though his contract worth in the region of £500,000-a-week is likely to be an obstacle to any sale.
Elsewhere, United expect to complete the signing of Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia today after the completion of the second part of his medical.
Malacia was at Carrington on Monday morning after arriving in Manchester at the weekend and is set to become the first signing of the Ten Hag era in a €15m (£12.7m) deal.
