The official party line, surrounding Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo, is that his Manchester Derby absence today is due to an injured hip flexor. However, numerous other reports say otherwise. Here’s what Interim Manager Ralf Rangnick said:
“Edi [Cavani] trained well the last three days but at the end he didn’t feel quite well enough to be able to play. Cristiano [Ronaldo] had some problems with his hip flexor on Friday and since then didn’t play.” Club legend Roy Keane isn’t buying it. Have a watch:
? “We talk about Ronaldo being a machine, very rarely injured then every now and again he comes out with “hip flexor” it doesn’t add up to me.”
Roy Keane questions the exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo from the Man United team pic.twitter.com/1WuYGB2ObG
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) March 6, 2022
And yes, Edinson Cavani will also miss out today, as his chronic groin injury has apparently not healed up enough yet. With Ronaldo and Cavani missing out, Rangnick decided to go without a recognized central forward in his first team.
Instead the 4-2-3-1 starting formation has Bruno Fernandes up top, with an attacking midfield of Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba and Anthony Elanga.
Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘not injured’ and has refused to be a part of Manchester United’s squad for today’s game after Ralf Rangnick had dropped him…?https://t.co/gj8iwK4lnS
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) March 6, 2022
So what’s the real reason that Ronaldo missed out of this match? Well, check out the link above. Is CR7 giving himself a day off for reasons that sound rather individualistic and diva-ish? (I know that’s not real word) Well, maybe, but only those who are truly on the inside can say for sure.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.