Cristiano Ronaldo will reportedly start Manchester United’s opening game of the 2022-23 Premier League season against Brighton on the bench amid ongoing uncertainty over his future at the club, according to UK’s Daily Mail.
The Portuguese superstar has 12 months remaining on his £360,000-a-week deal at Manchester United but stated his desire to leave the club earlier this summer as he looks to pursue Champions League football.
His desire to leave the club after failing to qualify for the Champions League is all that has been referenced when talking about the Portuguese forward.
He did not travel to the team’s pre-season camp in Thailand and Australia. The only football that he has played in pre-season has been the first half against Rayo Vallecano.
With his future still unresolved, the Premier League kicks off this coming weekend as Brighton visit Old Trafford on Sunday.
The Daily Mail report that Ronaldo is not part of Erik ten Hag’s plans to start the league opener. Instead, the Dutchman is looking to reward Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford for their good pre-season form with the Red Devils.
The only option currently on the table for Ronaldo to start against Brighton is that Martial is yet to recover from the hamstring discomfort that caused him to withdraw from the game against Atletico Madrid.
