Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to feature for Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday. The 37-year-old forward missed the Manchester derby last weekend due to a hip flexor injury.
In his absence, the Red Devils suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat against the league leaders. United are now two Premier League games without a win, ceding fourth place in the standings to Arsenal. Before the clash at the Etihad, the Red Devils secured a disappointing goalless draw against Watford at Old Trafford.
United are keen to return to winning ways and hope Ronaldo helps them achieve that. Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that the Portuguese superstar has returned to training and will be available for selection for the Spurs game. He said in this regard:
"Yeah, he resumed training yesterday. He trained for the whole session, and I expect him to be in training today as well. He trained well like the rest of the group, so I would have thought that he's available for tomorrow."
The interim manager continued:
"I haven't asked him if he's happy at Manchester, at this club. For me it's important that he's fit again, and he resumed training yesterday. Then we will see with which formation and which line-up we are going to play tomorrow."
Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to be partnered alongside Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga in attack. Sancho scored United's only goal at City, while Elanga has been preferred ahead of Marcus Rashford on the wings.
It's worth mentioning that Tottenham are currently only two points behind Manchester United in the league standings. A defeat to Spurs could seriously dent United's top-four hopes. The Red Devils are fifth in the standings, accumulating 47 points from 28 games. They are a point behind fourth-placed Arsenal but have played three matches more.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo perform for Manchester United against Tottenham earlier this season?
Cristiano Ronaldo had one of his best games in a Manchester United shirt the last time the Red Devils played Tottenham Hotspur this season.
The 37-year-old scored a goal and provided an assist in United's 3-0 win away at Spurs. It was also the last time United won a league game under their erstwhile manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Cristiano Ronaldo, though, is currently going through a barren run in front of goal, scoring just once in his last ten outings across competitions. That came against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 2-0 win last month. Ronaldo has scored 15 goals in 30 appearances across competitions for United this season, nine of which have come in the Premier League.