Erik ten Hag has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo still has an important role to play at Manchester United this season.
The manager previously confirmed that Ronaldo had refused to come on as a substitute during United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
He also confirmed that the legendary striker would not be playing against Chelsea and is currently training alone as a result of his actions.
However, Ten Hag also insisted that the striker remains an “important part” of his squad.
As far as Ronaldo is concerned, that seems to have left the door open for him to make an appearance again before traveling with Portugal to the World Cup in Qatar in November.
It doesn’t seem likely that it will be as a first-choice player outside of the Europa League.
However, Ronaldo may still have a chance to add to his only goal of the season so far as he tries to prepare for his international exploits.
His poor form has caused concern in his home country, with concerns that he arrives in Qatar with a serious lack of match acumen or form.
Given the opportunity to add to his tally at Old Trafford, he can still look forward to a decent run-up to what is sure to be his swansong international tournament.
As for Manchester United, the club does not have a reliable striker.
Anthony Martial has struggled with injuries and has no other coverage besides Marcus Rashford.
Rashford has done well in the central role but often prefers to play on the left flank.
However, during his performance against Tottenham on Wednesday, he certainly had the feeling of being a more natural centre-forward.
Regardless, Ten Hag most likely didn’t see the point in excluding a player entirely with his attack options as they are.
It will be up to Ronaldo to improve his professionalism if he wants to have a significant number of opportunities to stay fit. 
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