Ronaldo: 'The king plays' in Man U friendly game on Sunday

Posted July 29, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to make his return to playing for Manchester United in the club's exhibition game on Sunday against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford after being absent from United's 21-man squad that flew to Norway on Friday for a friendly match against AtlÃ©tico Madrid.

Responding to an Instagram post commenting on his omission from the United squad in Norway, Ronaldo responded with 'œDomingo o rei joga,'ť or 'œSunday, the king plays.'ť

If he does feature, it will be Ronaldo's first match for United since the 4-0 defeat at Brighton on May 7.

The 37-year-old striker missed United's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to family reasons amid reports he wants to quit the club.

Ronaldo returned to United's training ground earlier this week to discuss his future with new boss Erik ten Hag.

And the Portugal superstar has now claimed he is due to turn out for United on Sunday.

Ronaldo is reportedly looking for a move to a team that has qualified for the Champions League this season. He held talks with United manager Erik ten Hag at the club's training base on Tuesday.

United plays AtlÃ©tico in Oslo on Saturday and has a final friendly against Rayo before opening its Premier League campaign against Brighton on Aug. 7.

Before Ronaldo's latest comments, United hadn't said if he would be available against Rayo.

'œSome of those absent from the squad,'ť United said, referring to the AtlÃ©tico match, 'œwill take part in Sunday's game against Rayo Vallecano, while others are ill or injured.'ť

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo holds the ball after Chelsea's Marcos Alonso scored his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Chelsea, at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Thursday, April, 2022. By Thursday, July 21, 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet returned to preseason training with Manchester United because of what has been publicly described as 'personal reasons.' Ronaldo reportedly wants out after only one season back at Old Trafford because United is no longer in the Champions League or in shape to compete with the best teams in England. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson, File) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.