Erik ten Hag explains dropping Cristiano Ronaldo for Man Utd vs Tottenham

Cristiano Ronaldo has been dropped to the bench for Manchester United’s clash with Tottenham on Wednesday night.

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Marcus Rashford takes the 37-year-old’s place up top, in the only change from the goalless draw with Newcastle last Sunday.

It’s a big game for United against another top team in Antonio Conte’s Tottenham who have serious ambitions about winning the Premier League title.

Having scored 14 goals against Spurs in 20 games, including a hattrick in this fixture last season, it is a surprise to see Ronaldo benched but Erik ten Hag insists it is the right call.

‘We are building for the future, but the future is tonight,’ the United boss told Amazon.

‘You pick the line-up that you think has the most chance to win, and you have a game plan. Cristiano [Ronaldo] is an important player and he can make the goal, he will come on and can make the difference.

‘I have to deal with all the players expectations, and I have to deal with developing this team. You have to make a game plan.

‘This is a good Tottenham team, a compact, a transition team with high intensity and I think this is the best way to start like this. You get more runs behind, more dynamic up front.’

Tottenham have also made one change from their last game, with the injured Richarlison being replaced by Yves Bissouma, with Conte deploying a 3-5-2 for only the second time this season.

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