Cristiano Ronaldo is reported to have lost the last of his dressing room allies after Erik ten Hag took the bold step of axing him from the Manchester United squad following his most recent tantrum during the 2-0 over Tottenham.
As the game was drawing to a close on Wednesday night, Ronaldo stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel once it became clear he would not be getting introduced to the action against Antonio Conte's men. Ten Hag explained he would address the situation head-on during his post-match media duties.
The United boss told Amazon Prime: "He was there, I have seen him but I didn't speak. I will deal with that tomorrow not today. We're celebrating this victory and now we have to recover and another big game on Saturday, Chelsea. The Premier League, so exciting."
Just 24 hours later, Ronaldo had been axed from the United squad for their upcoming trip to fellow big-six outfit Chelsea. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been told to train alone until further notice having been temporarily dropped from the first-team squad as a result of his conduct in mid-week.
The Red Devils will reportedly slap their iconic number seven with a fine, as Ten Hag attempts to make clear to the rest of the side that this is how he will deal with anyone who steps out of line.
A statement from the club read: "Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday's game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture."
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While Ten Hag has proven he will not suffer fools gladly, he risks losing the United dressing room given so many of them think so highly of Ronaldo.
Fellow Portugal international and Old Trafford star Diogo Dalot is one of those players who has previously waxed lyrical over his fellow countryman's impact in the dressing room.
Speaking last season, Dalot told Sky Sports: "I'm sure I speak not just for me but he's [Ronaldo] been one of the most positive things about this season, to work with somebody who has his culture of working, professionalism, mentality, being close to him now, it's been very helpful for me and my career.
"I don't have any more compliments to give about the way he works, he's a fantastic human being as well. The numbers are there, the stats are there, so we're obviously very happy to have him here.
"He's a very friendly person. When he feels he has the trust of other people, he gives 100 per cent of himself to you. Everybody gets along with him here, everyone likes to have him around. It’s always a big plus to have a player and a person like this in the changing room."
Dalot's sentiments have been echoed by countless United stars, one of whom includes left-back Luke Shaw. The England international singled out Ronaldo's professionalism for praise when he told BBC Radio 5 Live: "You know the star he is, what he has been doing over a number of years.
"It is just unbelievable to be in a dressing room with him. You see the way he conducts himself, how professional he is. It’s clear to me why he has been at the top for so many years.
"His mentality is second to none. I think he has really improved that in and around the changing room."
The shared theme of Dalot and Shaw's praise for Ronaldo is that they both seem to view the 37-year-old as a model professional, but his most recent conduct hardly supports that theory as Ten Hag can attest.
United's manager may be able to take some comfort from the fact a recent report from the Sun has claimed Ronaldo is losing allies in the dressing room quickly. He had already soured his relations with the majority of the squad after refusing to travel on the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
Now, it has been suggested that the final few team-mates Ronaldo in his camp have turned their backs on him in light of his antics on Wednesday night.
