Controversy over Ronaldo's injury, absence from the Manchester Derby
An Instagram account followed by renowned footballer Cristiano Ronaldo claims the Portuguese star was axed from Manchester United coach for tactical reasons and not due to injury.
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Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo faced a hip injury and left for to his motherland after Manchester United coach Ralf Rangick ruled that the footballer will not be on the starting list that faced Manchester City and lost 4-1 in the Sunday derby, The Sun newspaper reported.
According to the newspaper, Ronaldo was shocked to know from Rangnick that he was set to be sitting on the bench during the Manchester Derby.
In Rangnick's defense, the German wanted "fresh legs for the match and that he believed Ronaldo, 37, could make an impact from the bench," according to The Sun.
The player insisted he could be a game starter and turned furious at his coach's decision.
The newspaper highlighted that Ronaldo "had been feeling positive in training last week and was looking forward to the Etihad clash with City."
"The man is 100% fit"
However, United's interim coach Rangnick was informed by the team's medical department that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is suffering from a hip flexor injury.
Following United's loss 4-1 to City, the coach noted that “Our doctor came to see me Friday morning before training and said Cristiano could not train because of some problems with his hip flexor and the same Saturday.”
It is noteworthy that one day before the Manchester Derby, an Instagram account dubbed "cr7.0_lendario" - followed by Ronaldo himself - claimed that Rangnick had pulled out Ronaldo of the formation.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is not injured and he is not sick. The man is 100% fit," it claimed.
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“Manchester United’s manager wants to enter with a different strategy in tomorrow’s game and has chosen to defend himself more, a purely tactical choice. Ronaldo won’t even be on the bench,” the account added.
For his part, former United captain Roy Keane criticized Rangick, expressing that “I don’t like it when the manager talks about this ‘hip flexor’. I don’t get it."
“We talk about Ronaldo being a machine, then every now and again he comes out with ‘hip flexor’. It doesn’t add up,” he underscored.
