Erik ten Hag thinks Manchester United are simply more dynamic with Marcus Rashford rather than Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup.
Ronaldo started against Newcastle United last time out, just the second time he has been given the nod in the Premier League all season. However, the 37-year-old failed to repay that faith, putting in a frustrating performance during the 0-0 stalemate.
Ten Hag hauled Ronaldo off during the second half of that encounter, with the Portuguese veteran clearly frustrated at the decision. Rashford was the player to replace him against the Magpies and he almost produced a late winner.
The England international’s rapid pace allowed him to get him behind Newcastle’s back-line only to see his cross turned wide from Fred. He then spurned a glorious chance of his own, heading wide in the final action of the game.
Nevertheless, for the visit of Tottenham, Rashford is back in the starting lineup, having fully recovered from illness. That has relegated Ronaldo back to the bench for a fixture that last season, he scored a dramatic hat-trick in.
Speaking ahead of the game with Spurs, Ten Hag pointed to what Rashford can give his side, while hinting Ronaldo’s remit has returned to that of a ‘super-sub’. "Marcus [Rashford] was ill at the weekend, he was not available for 90 minutes," he told MUTV.
"Otherwise, he would have started on Sunday. You saw at the moment Marcus came in, we were getting more dynamic in front. That's what we need today, to break the lines, but also to build up this game and in the end, we know we have a threat from the bench with Cristiano [Ronaldo] to finish the game.”
With the exception of the switch up top, United have named an unchanged squad to take on Spurs - who could move 10 points clear of their hosts with a victory. In a boost for Ten Hag, Christian Eriksen is back on the bench, having missed out vs Newcastle with his own bout of illness.
Ten Hag added: "He [Eriksen] was ill as well at the weekend. He came back yesterday. He doesn't feel like he has the energy for 90 minutes and so he will be on the bench as well.
“He can play a couple of minutes and hopefully we can bring him on, to make an impact in the game, or it's better if we don't need him. We have to be good in possession, we need the X-factor in the final third and defending transitions will be key."
Antonio Conte is in the opposition dugout at Old Trafford having been overlooked for the United job shortly after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s dismissal. He was asked whether it was a surprise to see Ronaldo not in the XI, telling BBC Sport: "United have a lot of top players in the squad. When you have to play lots of games in a short period it is normal to rotate."
