Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo is in line to play at Goodison Park for the first time since he felt the force of Everton captain Phil Neville’s famous tackle on him some 13-and-a-half years ago. Some 4,915 days will have elapsed since that contest, a 1-1 draw – also an early Saturday kick-off – when ex-Old Trafford stalwart Neville truly won over many Blues fans with his full-blooded challenge on his former team-mate.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, interim boss Rangnick declared that Ronaldo is back in contention to play having missed United’s previous game, a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester City last Saturday, through illness. Recalling his bone-crunching collision with the Portuguese legend, Neville said: “The Everton fans always said I was a 'Manc.’ The day I tackled Ronaldo – I did a really bad tackle on Ronaldo – was the day they changed their opinion of me because I went against the club they thought I loved.
“Do you know when you get them moments and you think, ‘I’ve got you here’? ‘I can go through you and win the ball!’ And I thought wow, it was like having a tap-in!
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“Giggsy and Fletch, two of my mates, and Rio came towards me, effing and blinding. And I’m saying, ‘Guys, I’ve won the ball there.’
“I was just walking away and not one Everton player came and helped me. It was funny because after the game, Giggsy said: ‘I would have done the same thing.’ And I said to Giggsy: ‘I would have chased you down as well if you’d have tackled one of our players like that.’ It was just one of those things.”
Rangnick also offered updates on a quartet of other United players, confirming that Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Scott McTominay and Edinson Cavani – who scored three goals in as many games against Everton last season – will all miss the trip to Goodison through injury.
