Erik ten Hag has assured Cristiano Ronaldo that his time to start for Manchester United will come after benching him for the third match on the trot.
The 37-year-old superstar, who's been pining to leave Old Trafford all summer but to no avail, watched most of the Red Devils' comfortable 1-0 win against Leicester City on Thursday from the dugout alongside Ten Hag. But the Red Devils boss still has Ronaldo firmly in his plans, having given him a 26-minute cameo which helped United secure their third successive Premier League victory.
"It is really early in the season," Ten Hag explained when asked about naming the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on the bench once again. "We have a squad, more than a starting XI. We are raising a team, they are sticking together, they fight for each other, cooperate. Now we have to step up further."
