Dutch manager Erik ten Hag of Manchester United sparked controversy with his comments regarding the sudden absence of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo from the match against Aston Villa and his chances of participating against Fulham. Ronaldo was unexpectedly left out of Manchester United's lineup for the match against Aston Villa (4-2) in the third round of the English League Cup. This occurred just hours after the announcement of the Portugal squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which included "Rocket Madeira" on its list for the fifth time in his career.
Some fans on Twitter speculated that Ronaldo's absence (at 37 years old) was due to a fear of injury that could prevent him from participating in the Qatar World Cup. However, ten Hag stated in comments to "Sky Sports" before the match: "Cristiano Ronaldo is out of the match list because he feels ill, so we preferred to rest him and not play him." The Dutch coach added, "This has nothing to do with participating in the World Cup, and I think it’s difficult to determine his status for the match against Fulham in the next round of the Premier League."
Manchester United will visit Fulham next Sunday as part of the 16th round of Premier League matches.
