Manchester United are still unsure over when Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the club - leaving Erik ten Hag in limbo just two weeks before the new Premier League campaign.
The new Old Trafford boss is back in Manchester after a 17-day tour of Thailand and Australia as preparations continue to ramp up for August's big kick-off. But United were forced to embark on their money-spinning trip without Ronaldo, after the 37-year-old was given an extended leave to deal with a family issue.
Ronaldo's absence comes just weeks after he dropped a bombshell on Ten Hag and the United hierarchy over his future, with the veteran hoping to quit the club in the wake of their disastrous campaign last year. The former Juventus man is desperate to continue playing Champions League football; something Manchester United cannot currently offer him.
But with the new season now looming large on the horizon, a report from The Daily Mail has outlined that United's patience is 'being tested' when it comes to the uncertainty over Ronaldo, with Ten Hag still none the wiser over when - or if - he will actually be able to call on the services of last season's leading marksman.
Although United have accepted the explanation behind their talisman's absence, the veteran has now missed three weeks of training and is likely to be some way behind the rest of Ten Hag's squad in terms of fitness and sharpness. Ronaldo has also not worked with Ten Hag or his teammates since the Dutchman started work at Old Trafford earlier this summer.
There is now a 'growing feeling' at United that, barring a sudden and unexpected change in circumstances, Ronaldo will be absent for the club's opening clash of the season against Brighton.
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Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, has failed to drum up adequate interest in his star client from clubs around Europe, but is trying to facilitate a surprise switch to Atletico Madrid. The Spanish outfit are reportedly interested in a deal for Ronaldo - despite the fact he spent almost a decade starring for their bitter rivals, Real Madrid.
Although is understood that Ronaldo would be open to slashing his £500,000-a-week wages in order to push through a move to Atletico, Diego Simeone's side would still need to offload players in order to accommodate the Portuguese megastar.
Unsurprisingly, Atletico's desire to strike a deal for Ronaldo has left the club's fanbase seriously split. And the Atletico hierarchy could have a major headache on their hands as disgruntled fans have flocked to social media to protest against the move.
Atletico fans have been using the hashtag #ContraCR7 [AgainstCR7] to make it clear that Ronaldo would not be welcome at the Metropolitano Stadium.
