United's midweek win at home to Tottenham ended on a sour note as Ronaldo was caught leaving the pitch before the full-time whistle, having remained an unused substitute for the duration of the contest. 

The club has since confirmed that he has been dropped from the squad.

In a statement released on the club's website, the news was confirmed: "Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s Premier League game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture."

THE BIGGER PICTURE:

Ronaldo was an unused substitute as Erik ten Hag's side put in perhaps their most complete performance of the season to comfortably see off Tottenham in a 2-0 win. Ronaldo headed down the tunnel and away from the field before the game was over, and it was later revealed he had left the stadium altogether. Ten Hag stated post-match that he would deal with the incident and has now taken action.

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? 

The 37-year-old now has the weekend off as frustrations continue to come to a boil between himself and his employers. Ronaldo was unable to find an exit from the club in summer but must sit tight for at least another two months. www.goal.com