United Player To Hold Talks With Ten Hag After Refusing To Return To Training

Erik ten Hag has overseen a pretty successful pre-season tour in his first summer as Manchester United manager.

The Red Devils flew to Thailand and Australia to face Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Over the weekend they played out a 2-2 draw against Steven Gerrard’s Villa to end their stay Down Under without losing a single game.

As has been stressed previously, the results in pre-season aren’t significant. But seeing players execute the manager’s vision on the pitch is important, and Ten Hag’s ideas were certainly visible in United’s play.

However, the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo was disappointing for the new boss, who would’ve preferred training with his supposed talisman for the upcoming season. Ronaldo didn’t return to United’s training following the summer break, citing family reasons.

Now he’s back in Manchester, and as per the Athletic, he will hold face-to-face talks over his future with Ten Hag in the coming days. United view his return as a positive sign, but at this stage, it’s unclear if he will be training on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the 37-year-old’s desire to depart the club was reported. Further, Ronaldo’s agent discussed his situation with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly.

The Old Trafford outfit, however, have maintained their stance of not selling their Number 7, and see him as an important part of Ten Hag’s side. The player still has 12 months remaining on his contract.