January 11, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Manchester United’s matchday squad for Monday night’s FA Cup third-round match against Aston Villa.
Ronaldo was not seen among the players arriving at the team’s pre-game hotel many hours before the game. Harry Maguire and Phil Jones were both also absent, and the centre-back duo will not play Villa.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick stated that for the cup tie, he would choose the “best possible team” rather than making major changes to the XI that had started their game a week earlier. However, before the match, the German acknowledged that Ronaldo was suffering from a minor “muscle problem.”
Since his return to the club, the 36-year-old Portuguese superstar has made 22 appearances in all competitions, including matches against Young Boys in the Champions League and West Ham in the Carabao Cup. His 14 goals make up nearly a third of the team’s total of 41.
In the Premier League defeat to Wolves, Ronaldo captained United in the absence of both Maguire and vice captain Bruno Fernandes. With Fernandes’ return to the side on Monday, he reclaims the armband, while Maguire remains sidelined as previously stated.
Rangnick kept his word about naming a powerful team. David de Gea begins in goal, with Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane returning to the lineup. Marcus Rasford, Mason Greenwood, and Edinson Cavani are also expected to start.
Amad Diallo, who is expected to join Birmingham on loan, and Anthony Elanga, as well as Jesse Lingard and Donny van de Beek, are on the substitutes’ bench.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
