Erik ten Hag has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo is fit enough to deliver his demands and start in Manchester United ’s Europa League opener on Thursday night.
After a tumultuous summer which saw the 37-year-old try, and fail, to engineer an Old Trafford exit, he has found himself in the unusual position of no longer being a regular starter. In fact, of Ten Hag’s first six Premier League games in charge, Ronaldo has started just once - in the 4-0 thrashing by Brentford.
Since then, the Red Devils have recovered, winning their last four, in all of which the Portuguese icon has come off the bench in the second half. But Ten Hag looks set to put Ronaldo back into the line-up when they host Real Socieded to kick-off their European campaign.
