Manchester United Rumors: Loaned Winger Pulls Back Curtain On Locker Room Issues

Saying that Manchester United has had a tumultuous season is a massive understatement at this point, and Anthony Martial decided to break his silence about the team’s reported issues in the locker room.

Speaking with Spanish-based Diario AS, Martial was asked about Cristiano Ronaldo and immediately dismissed the notions of him being a troublemaker behind the scenes.

“Cristiano [Ronaldo] is a top professional, one of the best in the history of the game. We all love him. There are things that are said in the media that are not true. I was in that dressing room and I know what happened,” said the loaned Sevilla winger.

Martial found himself on a different team towards the tail end of the January transfer window as he searched for consistent playing time elsewhere, to which Manchester United happily obliged by agreeing to terms on a loan deal with the Spanish La Liga side.

Rumors of tension within the Red Devils’ locker room, particularly between Ronaldo and team captain Harry Maguire, escalated just ahead of their Manchester City dustup earlier this month.

Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reported that Ronaldo decided to fly home to his country of Portugal after disclosing to the team that he would miss the match due to a hip flexor problem.

Missing the game due to injury was not a surprise to the Red Devils, but their alleged agitation with the Portuguese superstar was due to him not being in the stands to at least support them.

“Sources say the trip caused surprise among the United dressing room given the significance of the fixture. Injured players are not obliged to attend matches but it is said [Cristiano] Ronaldo’s team-mates feel his presence at the stadium, given his aura and contributions this campaign, could have been beneficial,” Whitwell wrote.

The season has made a turn for the worst as Manchester United was forced out of the UEFA Champions League by an Atletico Madrid victory in their second leg matchup at Old Trafford.

With this latest development, the only hope that the club and its fans have is for a top-four finish in the English Premier League as they have been knocked out of the three other competitions that they could have won a trophy in.

Manchester United is just one point outside of the top four, with Arsenal sitting at fourth with 51 points and 20 points away from the top spot currently held by Manchester City at 70 points.

A Premier League title finish would be nothing short of miraculous with how the Red Devils have been playing this season, and oddsmakers are in full recognition of it.

Manchester United will have a few more weeks to prepare for Leicester City’s visit to Old Trafford as they hope to end the season with some form of success.