Manchester United are set to start Cristiano Ronaldo against Newcastle after he wowed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in training, reports say. The Portugal international recently returned to the club from Juventus. And he’ll be looking to put Steve Bruce’s side to the sword as the Red Devils look to continue their unbeaten start to the new Premier League campaign.
Manchester United announced on deadline day that Ronaldo had returned from Juventus, with the forward previously looking set to join Manchester City.
And, after impressing in training, The Sun say the 36-year-old is now set to start up top today.
With Edinson Cavani absent from the squad, Solskjaer is ready to deploy the forward in the No 9 role as they look to put Newcastle to the sword.
It will be Ronaldo’s first appearance for the club since the 2009 Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Barcelona in Rome.
And Solskjaer feels the forward will be better than ever, despite him entering the twilight years of this career.
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“He knows the game more, definitely, he knows which positions to drop into and when to run in behind and he is still as quick it looks like from the stats.
“He’s in such good nick still and will be looking in the next few years to play and score as many goals as he can.
“We don’t have his skill set in the team, the mix, no one has really. He is one of the best players that’s ever played the game.”
Solskjaer was previously coy over whether Ronaldo would get the nod up top.
“He’s had a good pre-season with Juventus, played with his national team and had a good week with us.
“He’ll definitely be on the pitch at some point, that’s for sure.”
Ronaldo himself, meanwhile, has promised he’s ‘not here for a vacation’.
“This is why I am here. I am not here for a vacation,” he told MUTV.
“As I told you, before was good, winning important things and I wore the shirt before many years ago, but I am here to win again.
“I am capable, me and my team-mates. I am ready to go, I am ready to go. It is a good chance for me, for the supporters, for the club, to get one step ahead.
“I am ready and I think I will be a huge thing in the next three or four years.”
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