Erik ten Hag has explained why he started Cristiano Ronaldo in Manchester United’s match against FC Sheriff.
On Thursday night, United will face the Moldovan champions in the second group encounter of the new Europa League season. Ten Hag will be expecting a response after United was upset by Real Sociedad in the Europa League last week.
The squad is fresh after the weekend’s Premier League fixtures were postponed, and Ten Hag has made several changes from the side that lost to Real Sociedad, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez returning to the starting lineup.
Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen, and Bruno Fernandes have all been selected to start in midfield, while Antony and Jadon Sancho have been reinstated, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack through the middle.
Ten Hag was asked about his lineup selection for Ronaldo’s third start of the season against FC Sheriff.
“I don’t believe it’s that [select the lineup that defeated Arsenal, excluding Ronaldo]. It is all about selecting the best team for each game “Ten Hag stated to MUTV. “We have a strong squad, so everyone has a chance to play. We must win this game and perform admirably.
“We need to do much better than last week because it was insufficient. The approach is the same whether we are playing Liverpool, Arsenal, or FC Sheriff; we are professionals, and it is about how we play and what we do – that must be apparent.
“I’m responsible for making the best decisions for the team.”
The international break begins this weekend, and United’s next game is on October 2 against Manchester City.
