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Manchester United is in the midst of a Carabao Cup third-round clash with West Ham, but Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the squad. Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer explained his decision to leave his talisman on the sidelines, even though it likely didn't please the Portuguese international.
“We decided more or less before Sunday [to make changes]. We need more players to get match fit. Alex Telles is back and has been training for a week. It will be a long season.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has come in and made a difference already for Manchester United, he wants to play as much as possible but I don't think it is possible.
“If you are going to be successful at the end, you need the whole squad and minutes to be shared out. A risk making so many changes but we have played some games behind closed doors and hopefully we find the rhythm.”
Solksjaer's reasoning certainly makes sense considering the talent that he has at his disposal in this Manchester United squad. Bruno Fernandes was a substitute, while Paul Pogba was out of the 18-man list as well alongside Ronaldo.
Cristiano has hit the ground running in his second stint at Old Trafford, already bagging four goals in three appearances across all competitions. He netted a brace in his debut against Newcastle on September 11th.
While he isn't showing his age by any means, it's probably a smart decision to give Ronaldo a mid-week rest, especially with two big games for Manchester United ahead against Aston Villa then Villarreal in the Champions League.
