Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United during their Premier League clash with Newcastle United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, October 16, 2022. /CFP
Cristiano Ronaldo has paid a heavy price for his latest display of indiscipline as Manchester United announced on Thursday night that the Portuguese superstar has been axed from their matchday squad to face Chelsea.
An official statement read, "Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday's game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture."
The punishment comes after the 37-year-old petulantly stormed off to the Old Trafford tunnel and left the stadium before the end of United's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up prior to their Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, October 19, 2022. /CFP
Multiple British media outlets revealed that Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute when summoned by United manager Erik ten Hag. It is understood that his early exit was a reaction to being excluded from the starting line-up and he was not in the dressing room when Ten Hag and the players returned.
It has now emerged that Ronaldo will be separated from the United first team and made to train alone. He will also not be involved when they travel to Chelsea.
Later in the day, Ronaldo eventually broke his silence on Instagram and accepted responsibility but stopped short of an apology.
Cristiano Ronaldo (C) during a Manchester United first team training session at Carrington Training Ground in Manchester, England, October 17, 2022. /CFP
"I've always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I've represented," he wrote. "That's not always possible."
"Sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us," he added. "I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my team-mates and be ready for everything in any given game.
"Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."
It is the second time Ronaldo has been admonished for walking off early. Ten Hag called his behavior "unacceptable" after he was caught by camera exiting Old Trafford before the end of a preseason friendly against Rayo Vallecano this summer.
"I certainly don't condone this," said Ten Hag after that game. "This is unacceptable, for everyone. We are a team and you have to stay until the end."
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during their Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, October 19, 2022. /CFP
Ronaldo enjoyed his first season back at United by scoring 24 goals in all competitions. But he only netted two goals this term after starting just two games.
Although Ten Hag insisted Ronaldo remains an integral member of his team, the cold reality is the veteran striker is keen to leave the club and could be on his way out once the winter transfer window opens.
Having had such a trophy-laden career that made him one of the most successful footballers on the planet, Ronaldo is now increasingly becoming an unwelcome distraction. It would be a huge relief for both him and United if he could escape from here sooner rather than later.