Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted he will consider dropping Cristiano Ronaldo again fro him to ensure he doesn’t burn out in the latter stages of the campaign.
The Portuguese forward has been the star of the show at Old Trafford since returning in the summer, netting five goals in all competitions.
But before the international break, Solskjaer chose to bench Ronaldo with the decision backfiring as Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Everton.
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Ronaldo goes into Saturday’s game against Leicester off the back of scoring a hat-trick against Luxembourg for his country, but Solskjaer suggested he will continue to manage his players by rotating the team going forward.
‘He’s an exceptional player, exceptional finisher, goalscorer, an exceptional professional,’ Solskjaer said of the Portugal international.
‘It’s hard to leave him out and I think everyone would love to – how do you say? – if you can go and play six games in six days and play the same eleven every time.
‘It’s great, but rotation – we need to get to April and May with everyone firing. ‘We got to May in the final stretch of last season and we were too tired. I manage the players for the club.
‘It’s nice to have him on the pitch, he’ll always come up with the goods. The more we have him on the pitch, the better.’
Solskjaer’s decision to bench Ronaldo against Everton was criticised by the fans as well as high-profile pundits.
He also drew criticism from Sir Alex Ferguson, who was spotted chatting to former UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov after the Everton draw.
‘But I also think that when they (Everton) saw that Ronaldo wasn’t playing, it was a bit…’ says Ferguson in the video.
Nurmagomedov replied: ‘He came on in the second half…’
Before the Scot responded: ‘I know, but you should always start with your best players.’
