Cristiano Ronaldo failed to make his return to action with a goal as Manchester United ended their pre-season with a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo’s future at United has been the subject of intense debate this summer.
The 37-year-old wants to leave the club to pursue his desire to compete in the Champions League.
And he was allowed to miss United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia for personal reasons.
Ronaldo made it a point to applaud the fans on either side of the stadium as he led the outfield players into a warm-up before kick-off, with the fans returning the favor to show there was no had no lingering bad feeling despite summer speculation. The Portuguese had a clear chance in their 45-minute display against the La Liga side but ran after running towards Donny van de Beek’s sending off.
Although Ronaldo is sure to still be a United player when his club open the Premier League season against Brighton on August 7, the cameo is unlikely to give him a starting spot against Graham Potter’s men.
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New signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez both played for an hour in a match organized by new coach Erik Ten Hag for players with little involvement in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in Oslo.
In Ten Hag’s first game in charge at Old Trafford, Ronaldo was brought down by 18-year-old Argentine Alejandro Garnacho.
In a goalless first half, Garnacho posed the biggest threat, slamming from the left and causing problems for the visitors. Garnacho is one of many youngsters Ten Hag has yet to decide whether to keep or loan out.
Ivorian Amad Diallo is another after spending last season with Rangers.
And it was the 20-year-old who gave the hosts the lead early in the second half when he saved the rebound from Alex Telles’ shot.
United’s lead lasted just nine minutes before Alvaro Garcia similarly equalized after Tom Heaton saved Isaac Palazon Camacho’s opening try
