Manchester United: Rangnick Reveals Why He Started Cavani Ahead Of Ronaldo Against Burnley

Ralf Rangnick has revealed why he started Edinson Cavani ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in Manchester United's Premier League fixture against Burnley on Tuesday.

Ronaldo came off the bench later on but could not help Manchester United win as his side was held at a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

It was the third time Ronaldo was not featured in the Red Devils' starting XI in a league game this season.

"Today it will require a lot of sprinting, chasing balls, a lot of fight for second balls. This best fits the profile for Edinson Cavani, which is why he starts today," Rangnick said before the match started on Tuesday, according to Goal.com.

Ronaldo has struggled in recent weeks. In his last eight appearances in the Premier League, he has managed to score in just two games. The former Real Madrid forward has not scored a goal for the Red Devils in their last four league matches. He also missed a penalty last weekend that saw Manchester United crash out of FA Cup.

Having made 26 appearances, across all competitions, Ronaldo has netted 14 goals and provided three assists for the Old Trafford side in the 2021-22 season. Six of his goals have come in the Champions League.

Manchester United have slipped to fifth place in the Premier League table. The Red Devils have 39 points from 23 games, one point behind fourth-placed West ham. But Manchester United have a game in hand.

Manchester United scored three times Tuesday but two of them got disallowed, for offside and a foul. Paul Pogba's 18th-minute strike helped the Red Devils earn a crucial point.

"[There were] not that many things that we could have done better in the first half. We scored three goals, two of them disallowed. Especially the second one, nobody can really understand it was disallowed, and why the linesman flagged a foul from Paul Pogba eight seconds after the foul, if there was a foul committed. Anyway, we should have been at least 2-0 up at half-time," Rangnick told MUTV after the 1-1 draw.

"But we said the same after the Middlesbrough game. We were doing extremely well on the ball and controlled the game but in the end it’s about winning the game. Today with only one point after those 94 minutes, nobody can be happy. And above all, if you want to be fourth in the league, we should not lose points like the ones tonight," the German boss added in the same interview.

Manchester United will next host Southampton at Old Trafford on Saturday in the Premier League.