Premier League: Manchester United have axed Cristiano Ronaldo from their squad ahead of the game against Chelsea

United defeated Antonio Conte's squad with a score of 2-0, with goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes, and Ronaldo was listed among the substitutes for the match against Spurs.

However, as Manchester United overcame Tottenham to maintain their campaign for a top-four finish, manager Erik ten Hag was questioned about Cristiano Ronaldo in addition to the performance of the players on the field.

In the 89th minute, Ronaldo, an unused substitute, left the Old Trafford bench and headed down the tunnel.

The next day, the club stated that he would not play against Chelsea on Saturday due to what appears to be disciplinary action.

"Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture," the official club statement read.

Erik Ten Hag was furious about Cristiano Ronaldo's actions

"I have seen him [leave the pitch], but I didn't speak to him after. I will deal with that tomorrow," ten Hag stated after the match. "Today, we're celebrating this victory and now we have to recover from this [and look forward to] Saturday."

Ronaldo will not practise with the first team as they prepare for the match at Stamford Bridge. The club's hierarchy has supported this decision. Ten Hag continues to request that he report to the training ground.

He spoke with Ten Hag before the Dutchman decided to cut him from his Stamford Bridge match against Chelsea.

Ronaldo did not train with the first team on Thursday and is not likely to return until Monday.

Given Ronaldo's dissatisfaction with the club, it is believed that Ten Hag would be amenable to the 37-year-old leaving in January.

The chief executive officer, Richard Arnold, would support the manager in this matter. However, the forward's weekly salary of almost £500,000 may make it impossible to reach an agreement with another team.

The player's contract expires in June, and one alternative would be to offer him a payout of around half of his salary. If completed immediately, this would amount to approximately £8 million.

Another option would be to allow him to move on a loan while continuing to pay him a portion of his salary.

Even after scoring 18 Premier League goals during the 2021-22 season, Ronaldo has remained an unquestionable starter throughout his stellar career from his second season at Manchester United at age 19.

With United only one point behind Chelsea for a position in the top four, it's difficult to argue against ten Hag's decision, given Ronaldo's scoring has regressed this season, and he cannot push and defend.