Portugal boss Fernando Santos issued an emphatic response when asked about Cristiano Ronaldo’s wellness after the superstar was ruled out of Thursday’s friendly with Nigeria.
The 37-year-old missed the national team’s latest training session due to gastroenteritis after training with the squad on Monday. Ronaldo missed both of Manchester United’s final two games before the World Cup due to illness.
The superstar has sparked outrage ever since clips of his interview with Piers Morgan were released. In the sit-down, which airs in full across two episodes on TalkTV on Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm, he said he felt “betrayed” by United and said he had no respect for boss Erik ten Hag.
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On Wednesday, Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill asked Santos in a Portugal press conference whether Ronaldo was genuinely ill in light of his interview, which TV host Morgan said had taken place “recently”.
Santos laughed before answering: "If it was any other player you would not ask that question. It's a fact that he's suffering from gastroenteritis and any player can struggle if you're suffering from gastroenteritis. It's a fact, so he is not ready to play tomorrow."
He added: "The player decided to give an interview as many others have. It's a personal interview, very personal actually, and we have to respect that.
“Isn't Cristiano Ronaldo a free man? It was his decision and we have to understand and respect it. The only thing we talk about is the preparation for Qatar.
“It does not affect us at all. He is in his room resting and recovering. He won't practice and won't be ready for tomorrow's game either."
United sources have told MEN Sport that the club refutes two accusations Ronaldo made about the club, including the suggestion that Reds officials didn’t truly believe his daughter was ill, which was why Ronaldo missed the summer pre-season tour.
Sources also said that most United players now see no way back for their teammate at Old Trafford. On Monday, United released a statement in the wake of the interview clips being released.
The statement read: “Manchester United notes the media coverage regarding an interview by Cristiano Ronaldo.
“The club will consider its response after the full facts have been established. Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff, and fans.”
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