Cristiano Ronaldo has said “the heat of the moment” got the better of him when he stormed off down the tunnel at Old Trafford long before the final whistle on Wednesday as Manchester United defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the Premier League.
The veteran forward has subsequently been banished from first-team training and dropped for United’s match against Chelsea on Saturday by Erik ten Hag.
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"I've always tried to set an example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I've represented," he wrote on Instagram.
"That's not always possible.
“Sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.
"I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington [United's training ground], support my team-mates and be ready for everything in any given game.
"Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we'll be together again."
It has been reported that the Portuguese forward refused to come on as a late substitute against Spurs.
The striker left the bench and walked down the tunnel in the 89th minute, despite United having only made three of their authorised five substitutions. It is believed he made a brief stop in the dressing room before leaving the stadium.
In his post-match press conference, Ten Hag revealed that he would “deal with” the problem on Thursday.
Having been omitted from the Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge this weekend, Ronaldo will miss a huge match for his side. Just one point separates the two sides., with the Blues currently in fourth occupying the final Champions League qualification spot.
It wasn’t the first time that Ronaldo had shown unhappiness with his new bit-part role at United, with some also questioning his reaction to coming off in last Sunday’s goalless draw with Newcastle United.
