Manchester United Star To Miss Ronaldo’s Potential Appearance Against Newcastle

Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to make his second debut for Manchester United in their upcoming Premier League clash with Newcastle on Saturday but his former teammate Wayne Rooney won’t be in the stands to witness it.

Rooney, who was Ronaldo’s teammate at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, said he’ll be chauffeuring his sons to their own game Saturday.

"No, I won’t be going to the game Saturday. I’ve got a day off Saturday and two of my sons have got a game of their own so I’ll be taking them, I’ll be taxi driving on Saturday," Rooney told media outlet talkSport in a recent interview.

After their first three matches of the 2021-22 Premier League season, the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side stands third in the table with seven points.

Before the 2021 summer transfer window ended on Sept.1, Manchester United scripted one of the most sensational transfers in the history of the sport as they re-signed Ronaldo, who had earlier played for the club between 2003 and 2009. His first stint at Old Trafford made him a superstar, as he netted 118 goals and helped his side win three Premier League titles on the trot and a Champions League title among several other laurels. Ronaldo also won his first of the five Ballon d’Or awards while being a Red Devil.

Despite being 36, Ronaldo is still considered one of the best players at present. In the 2020-21 season, which turned out to be Ronaldo’s last at Juventus, the Portuguese forward finished as the top scorer for the Serie A club with 36 goals, 16 more than second-placed Alvaro Morata.

Rooney, who is currently the manager of EFL Championship club Derby County, has claimed that with the arrival of Ronaldo, Manchester United are certainly one of the contenders to win this term’s Premier League trophy. The last time the Red Devils won the league title was back in the 2012-13 season when Rooney was still a part of the Old Trafford side.

"What impact will Ronaldo have? An enormous one, I think he’s still one of the best players in the world. I think we’ve seen in the game against Ireland that’s what he does, the last couple of minutes he scores two goals, two great headers, so he can have a massive impact on this league. I think United are finally ready to go and challenge for the title, and I really feel they have to this year," added Rooney in his interview with talkSport.

Last season, Manchester United finished second in the league table, 12 points behind winners Manchester City. Solskjaer’s team also made it to the final of the Europa League but ended up losing to the Spanish club Villarreal.