Cristiano Ronaldo had not told Manchester United that he would be travelling to Portugal on the weekend that the Manchester Derby was taking place.
The Red Devils were humiliatingly beaten 4-1 by their local rivals, with plenty criticising the United squad for the manner in which they accepted defeat in the closing stages of the match.
It is hard to see how Ronaldo would have prevented what was an emphatic Manchester City performance, and he may not have known either as he was not in the country to watch his team-mates self-destruct at the Etihad Stadium.
Questions are consistently being raised of Ronaldo and his work ethic, and recent revelations will not aid his defence.
The Telegraph have revealed that the forward did not let United know that he would be heading to Portugal last weekend and left manager Ralf Rangnick completely in the dark about the situation.
The club are ‘relaxed’ about the situation though given that five-time Ballon d’Or winner was unavailable for the match and had no obligation to be present at the stadium to watch the match.
Ronaldo is believed to have been struggling with a hip flexor problem over the past few months and is still not training with the United team despite returning from his holiday in time for training on Tuesday morning – leading many to believe the former Real Madrid star is unlikely to feature against Tottenham this weekend.
Although United look unlikely to punish Ronaldo for his weekend away, one would image that Rangnick won’t be pleased given that he has spoken publicly about how he wants players to remain at the club facilities whilst they are injured.
Speaking after he was made interim at the club, the German boss said: “My former clubs were always trying to make sure the rehab should take place in the club itself.
"As far as I can tell the medical department is really good, very good, with many different approaches towards rehab. I would not want players to do their rehab abroad or anywhere else, but the decision on Paul was taken before I came.
"In the future, and I have already spoken to the medical department, I want players with injuries, and hopefully we don't get long-term injuries, but if we have them in the future I want them to stay here.”
Reports have circulated that Ronaldo is unhappy at United and the direction that the club are falling in, with their slim chances of securing Champions League football for next season.
With Edinson Cavani out of contract at the end of the season and Mason Greedwood unavailable, the Red Devils will certainly be eying up a striker in the summer that fits the bill of their to-be appointed manager.
The Manchester Evening News revealed that Rangnick has doubts over whether Ronaldo is still capable of leading the line for United when he is replaced in the Old Trafford dugout, and his injuries and supposed attitude issues will certainly play into his thoughts when he takes up a consultancy role at the club.
