Cristiano Ronaldo may face Man United fan backlash after refusing to play vs. Tottenham

Erik ten Hag has warned Cristiano Ronaldo he might face a backlash from Manchester United followers after refusing to play towards Tottenham Hotspur.

Ronaldo has been dropped from the squad to face Chelsea on Saturday and spent Friday coaching alone with health coaches at Carrington.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, extra (U.S.)

Ten Hag will search talks with the 37-year-old earlier than deciding whether or not he can rejoin the primary crew on Monday however says the striker may face a harsh response from supporters when he makes his comeback in the event that they really feel he has disrespected the membership.

“He needs to be conscious that you just get justified [judged] by the second and the way you might be appearing right this moment,” Ten Hag mentioned at a information convention on Friday.

“In high sport, it’s about right this moment — it’s not about age or status. When you’ve gotten high sport, you get justified and judged by the second and the way you act.

“That’s regular. Everybody has to concentrate on it and never simply Cristiano. We now have to concentrate on it as a crew, a supervisor and a membership.”

Ten Hag says he “needs and expects” Ronaldo to remain at Previous Trafford till the top of the season however insists he’ll solely be allowed again into the squad if he meets “sure requirements.”

The Dutchman expects to have the Portugal captain out there for the Europa League fixture towards FC Sheriff on Thursday however a choice is unlikely to be made till after the journey to Chelsea.

– Pocket book: Man Utd eye De Jong deal in January

“It’s for this sport after which we proceed,” mentioned Ten Hag.

“I’m open to that. For me, it’s a strike. What we mentioned within the assertion is that Cristiano stays an essential a part of the squad and I rely on him for the remainder of the season. We need to fulfil our ambitions.

“What I mentioned is I do not need to miss him. I need him to be within the squad and be concerned for each sport as a result of he has an influence.”

The choice about the right way to deal with Ronaldo’s refusal to play towards Tottenham was left to Ten Hag, though sources have informed ESPN that United have backed his response to the state of affairs.

Ten Hag was given the inexperienced mild by membership chiefs to sanction Ronaldo and the 52-year-old revealed he made clear his calls for of gamers when he interviewed for the job earlier this yr.

“After I bought appointed, I talked to the administrators concerning the tradition, high sport tradition, requirements and that’s the reason they appointed me,” mentioned Ten Hag.

“They did some background and we had talks about how I lead, what my persona is and the way I do it in a strategic manner and about my requirements and management.”