Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag has dropped Portugal legend, Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench for their first game of the season, according to The Sun.
The decision may not be unconnected to the fact that the 37-year-old did not participate in the club’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
The football superstar will be on the bench when the Red Devils entertain Brighton on Sunday.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus star played just one preseason friendly for United, being their 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano last Sunday.
The 45 minutes against the Spanish side won’t be enough for the Manchester United boss to put him in the starting line up for the Red Devils’ season opener.
According to the report, Ten Hag has opted for Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the attack.
The trio worked well together during pre-season, and all scored in a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in July.
The report added that Ronaldo being kept on the bench will do nothing to silence the speculation surrounding his future at the club.
