Former Manchester United winger Nani has suggested that there might be a very simple explanation as to why Cristiano Ronaldo walked down the tunnel before the full-time whistle against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.
Ronaldo stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel during the Reds' 2-0 win over Spurs on Wednesday and has been dropped from the squad for the upcoming match against Chelsea on Saturday evening.
The 37-year-old trained alone at Carrington on Friday and will not travel to Stamford Bridge for the Premier League clash against the London Outfit at the weekend.
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During his press conference on Friday, United boss Erik ten Hag confirmed that Ronaldo had refused to come on against Antonio Conte's side, with the former Juventus man proceeding to walk down the tunnel before the final whistle.
However, the veteran forward's former teammate Nani has offered a different potential explanation for Ronaldo leaving the pitch early.
"I don’t know what happened at that moment, but maybe Ronaldo had to go to the bathroom," Nani told Mais Futebol on Thursday.
"Everyone knows how professional he is. He is a huge professional. He maybe he might be frustrated for not being an option. But his will is to be on the field playing. I think there was a reason for what happened, I don’t know."
Ronaldo sent a message to his social media followers after it was confirmed that he had been dropped from the matchday squad for the upcoming match. The 37-year-old claimed that the 'heat of the moment' got the better of him on Wednesday night, but vowed to work hard on the training pitch.
The forward wrote on his Instagram account: "As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed.
"I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision-making process. I started very young, the older and most experienced players' examples were always very important to me.
"Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.
"Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option.
"It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again."
The Reds can leapfrog Chelsea in the Premier League with a win on Saturday night, with the Blues currently one point above United.
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