CRISTIANO RONALDO is out of Manchester United’s Carabao Cup due to illness, according to boss Erik ten Hag.
The 38-year-old was completely absent from the squad for the third-round clash against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
The manager named a slightly-weakened side ahead of the club’s final pre-World Cup Premier League game at Fulham on Sunday.
But it was announced only before the game that one of the Red Devils’ biggest stars would miss out.
Ten Hag insisted illness was the issue and it had nothing to do with the fast-approaching World Cup.
The Dutchman told Sky Sports: “[He has a] illness. So not available.
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“It’s difficult to say [whether he will be available for Fulham] how he recovers.”
When the reporter pressed ten Hag on whether the World Cup had anything to do with Ronaldo’s absence, the boss insisted simply: “No, illness.”
Ronaldo was named in Portugal’s World Cup squad earlier today along with his United teammates Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
Players around Europe have one final weekend of domestic action to get through before jetting off for Qatar.
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Many will be hoping they don’t fall victim to last minute injuries which has affected a whole host of stars.
With Ronaldo absent, ten Hag still named a fairly strong team as he looked to get revenge on Aston Villa after Sunday’s defeat.
Senior stars Victor Lindelof, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes all featured in the starting line-up as the Red Devils look to avoid the fate of some of their rivals last night.
