‘Ronaldo to miss Chelsea, Man Utd clash’

Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will be dropped from the Manchester United squad to face Chelsea this weekend.

The Blues are set to host the Red Devils at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon as the race for top-four heats up.

The 37-year-old striker left Old Trafford early last night despite his side beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0. He was an unused substitute by Ten Hag, as goals from Bruno Fernandes and Fred held Antonio Conte’s side to a disappointing defeat away to United.

An official statement released by the club read: “Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”

Ronaldo was heavily linked with an exit from Manchester United in the summer, with Chelsea one of several clubs linked with securing his services. football.london understand that the Blues sounded out a move for the Portugal international in July, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner eager to ply his trade in the Champions League.

And, according to ESPN, Ronaldo was even open to a move to Stamford Bridge. If Chelsea decide to reignite interest in the striker then the club have been handed a huge boost after Diego Simeone down played speculation that a move for the Portuguese star is on the cards.

Speaking to Martin Liberman, as quoted by Atleti Universe, the Atletico Madrid boss said: “Cristiano Ronaldo’s possible arrival at Atlético de Madrid in the summer? The little birds [journalists] told you anything far from what has happened – people speak sometimes to tell what they want to tell, not reality,” the Argentinian added. “Ronaldo is an absolute benchmark for Real Madrid.