Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not come on as a substitute in the game against Tottenham Hotspur. "Yes," said Ten Hag at the press conference in response to a question.

The 37-year-old striker was subsequently left out of the long-established club's squad for the upcoming Premier League game. Ronaldo had left the interior of Old Trafford without the manager's permission on Wednesday evening while the game (2-0) was still going on.

"After Vallecano I told him it was unacceptable. This is the second time, there are consequences. He will be missing tomorrow. It's a weakening of the squad, but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group. Now we have to we focus on Chelsea because it's an important game," ten Hag clarified. Ronaldo had done a similar incident in the summer. The 2016 European champions no longer have the exposed status they used to have this season.

Ronaldo's support in the team is fading

According to the English tabloid "The Sun", Ronaldo has now lost the support of the team as a result of his action. He has also been banned from team training ahead of the Chelsea game and has been fined £720,000 (€826,000) for publicly showing disrespect for the manager.

He's trying "to be a role model," Ronaldo himself wrote on Instagram: "Unfortunately, that's not always possible, and sometimes we're caught off guard in the heat of the moment." There was no direct excuse for his behavior.

He feels he has to "work hard, support my teammates and be ready for anything in every game". Ronaldo continued: "Giving in to pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United and we must be united. Soon we will be together again." English media, on the other hand, assume that he will have to leave the club in winter.