Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for the start of its pre-season tour.
The Red Devils travel to Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, and the club have excused Ronaldo from joining the tour so he can deal with a “family issue”. It is not yet known when the Portuguese will rejoin the squad.
After playing Liverpool in Thailand on July 12, United head to Australia for games against Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. They return to Manchester on July 25.
It was reported earlier that the 37-year-old told Manchester United he wishes to leave the club. He said the team, now managed by Erik ten Hag, did not look ambitious enough to win the English Premier League and qualify for the Champions League.
On placing sixth in the English Premier League last season, Manchester United failed to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League edition, and have to contend with playing in the UEFA Europa League.
Ronaldo has not reached an agreement with any club. His agent, Jorge Mendes, has been on the lookout, holding talks with Bayern Munich and Chelsea, among others.
