Cristiano Ronaldo's future is at risk and his form for Qatar 2022 is a concern

For Erik ten Hag, having Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad is not a priority. As he did not hesitate to put him on the bench against none other than Liverpool, United’s biggest rival alongside Manchester City.

This was the second time in three games in the 2022/23 Premier League season that Ronaldo started on the bench. The first surprise was against Brighton in the season debut, when they lost 2-1. Against Brentford he was in the starting lineup, but the team lost 4-0. And now, he saw almost all of the game against Liverpool from the bench.

More international soccer news:

How Neymar's success and growth at PSG is affecting Kylian Mbappé

Manchester United wanted to imitate Messi's play at PSG and looked ridiculous

In the run-up to the match, one of the most frequently asked questions the coach was confronted with was the decision not to include the Portuguese in the starting eleven.

"We know we need good pressure in their possession game because they are good and clear in that. One of the reasons is also to hurt them. We know we can break with this front four. We can break and we can attack the back of their back four. They (the starters) have the capacity to do that. That's the reason," said the Dutchman in a dialogue with MUTV.

And then, in an interview with Sky Sports, he confirmed: "We know Liverpool are a very good team in possession. You need to press them, you need to do it from a block, so we need a lot of energy. In transition you can beat them, that's why we started with Rashford, Elanga and Sancho up front”.

Ronaldo could lose playing time under Ten Hag

CR7’s place in United’s squad is now at risk, as the manager does not see him as an undisputed starter. This could lead to Ronaldo having less playing time and this is a huge concern for him and the Portugal National Team with the World Cup only a few months away.