Ten Hag: Ronaldo refused to be a substitute against Tottenham

 Manchester United coach Eric Ten Hag confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo refused to play as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur last Wednesday, and that he is now training alone away from the first team squad. Ronaldo did not play in his team's 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and walked towards the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms minutes before the end of the match, after Ten Hag left him on the bench.

The Portuguese striker will be out of the team that faces Chelsea, London, on Saturday, according to Reuters. In response to a question, today, Friday, about the 37-year-old's refusal to play against Tottenham, Ten Hag said: "Yes (refused to play)."

The Dutch coach added, "I am the coach, I am responsible for the culture here and I have to set the standards and the rules and take the lead. We have values ​​and standards in the team and I am responsible for that." "There will be time to think for him, and also for everyone else. Football is a team sport, you have to meet certain standards and I have to work on that."

Ronaldo's departure from the field early before the end of Wednesday's match was not the first time that the captain of the Portugal national team took such an action this season, as he had previously left before the whistle of the end of the friendly match Rayo Vallecano before the start of the season. But Ten Hag insisted that this was not the end of Ronaldo at United.

"After the Faycano game, I told him (his early departure) was not acceptable. This is the second time, and there must be consequences. We will miss him tomorrow. It is a loss for the team but this is important for the behavior and thought of the group, and now we have to put our focus on Against Chelsea because that's important." "The words are also clear. He is still an important player in the team," the coach added.

The two teams will meet at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, as Chelsea have not lost in 7 games in all competitions under the leadership of their new coach Graham Potter, while the guest United won 4 of their last 5 matches in all competitions. Ten Hag confirmed that Frenchman Anthony Martial will also miss due to injury.