Veteran striker Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be dropped to the bench for Manchester United’s clash with Liverpool, according to reports.
Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to leave the club this summer, and reported back to pre-season three weeks later after citing ‘family issues’ for the delay.
It has meant that he has had very little football, with just one pre-season game under his belt before he came on as a second-half substitute in their 2-1 defeat. Restored to the starting XI against Brentford, he cut a frustrated figure as his side imploded and fell to an embarrassing 4-0 defeat in north west London.
Now, Erik ten Hag is planning to drop him to the bench following the return of Anthony Martial from injury, according to Sky Sports. The Frenchman missed the first two games of the season but has returned to fitness, with Ten Hag confirming that he would feature in some capacity against Liverpool.
“The good news is that Anthony Martial is back in training with the team”, he told the Manchester United website.
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All change at United?
Ronaldo is not likely to be the only casualty from the Brentford disaster performance, with several changes expected.
Meanwhile, club captain and record signing defender Harry Maguire is expected to be dropped, with Raphael Varane set to return. The Frenchman has been training alongside Lisandro Martinez so far this week, and the pair are set to be given the opportunity to play together for the first time.
