It would not be very 'Cristiano Ronaldo' to encounter the hectic scenes we mere mortals have to contend with while hatching our plans for a summer getaway. But in the ever-crowded Manchester departure lounge, there will be one rather notable absentee on Friday morning.
Of course, those alarming issues in economy class will be side-stepped by Erik ten Hag and his Ronaldo-less squad when they fly out to Australia - with stops in Thailand and Norway either side - yet the new manager has one early problem to solve to prevent his pre-season plans from going down under.
When the Dutchman was appointed to kick off a new era, a significant amount of focus was on that man Ronaldo and how the five-time Ballon d'Or winner might fit into his side and what he would give Ten Hag with his penchant for high-intensity. Concerns were alleviated in one simple word.
