"Erik ten Hag has made the right decision" – Pundit names Manchester United star who has 'won the battle' with Cristiano Ronaldo to start games

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks has pointed out that Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is currently ahead of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the pecking order at Old Trafford.

Rashford, 24, helped Erik ten Hag's side register their fourth win on the trot with two goals and an assist against Arsenal at home on Sunday (September 4). He assisted Antony's opening goal in the first half and then sealed the victory with a brace after the break.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, came on as a substitute just before the hour-mark during the contest. The Portuguese veteran, who failed to engineer a move away from Old Trafford earlier this summer, has started just one Premier League match so far this season.

In his 'Team of the Week' column on BBC, Crooks lauded Ten Hag's decision to start Rashford as the main striker. He wrote:

"It would appear that Rashford has won the battle with Cristiano Ronaldo to start games for Manchester United. Erik ten Hag has made the right decision of course. Rashford is part of United's future and Ronaldo, sadly, is part of United's past. It comes to all great players of course."

He continued:

"However, it's time to see if Rashford can take United back to the glory days. That is what he must achieve if he is to lead United's attack and leave Ronaldo on the bench. To do that Rashford must score goals and plenty of them."

He added:

"He looked good against Arsenal and took both his goals well but in order to be the best he will need to keep focused to maintain the consistency that was lacking last season."

Rashford, who netted just five goals in the last league campaign, has already contributed three goals and two assists this season. Meanwhile, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is yet to open his account in five games.

Manchester United are currently in fifth place in the Premier League standings with 12 points. The club will next host Real Sociedad in their UEFA Europa League Group E opener on Thursday (September 8).

Pablo Zabaleta opines on Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United

Speaking on ESPN FC, former Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo should come to terms with the fact that he is unlikely to start regularly for Manchester United. He said:

"I would like him to be a mentor for the young players. He's not getting any younger, he can teach the young lads a lot of things and that would be nice to see."

He added:

"I know his personality. He has been a top player, always wants to play but I think at some point you must accept that you can't play every single game and you have to support the young players and wish them well."