Erik ten Hag, Cristiano Ronaldo 'ready to move forward after positive talks'

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag and experienced forward Cristiano Ronaldo are both reportedly prepared to put the last week behind them after "positive" discussions.

Ronaldo refused to enter the field as a late substitute in last Wednesday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur, which saw him dropped from the squad for Saturday's game with Chelsea.

The 37-year-old has been back in training with the 20-time English champions this week, though, and he is seemingly in contention to make his return against Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League on Thursday.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Ronaldo "was really sorry" for his actions, but Ten Hag also "understood the player wanted to be involved more".

The journalist claims that after "positive" discussions, both are now keen to move forward, with Ten Hag still viewing the forward as a vital part of his plans for the remainder of the campaign.

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"We know how complicated things got for Cristiano Ronaldo last week. He left Old Trafford early in the Tottenham game, so Erik ten Hag decided he had to be dropped. He decided together with the board, and Ronaldo was left out of Ten Hag's squad for the Chelsea game," Romano wrote in his column for CaughtOffside.

"Cristiano understood it was not the best way to act. It's important to mention he's now back in contention for the first-team, we will see him get an opportunity again. He's 100% available. But what happened with his talks with Ten Hag?

"I'm told they have been in constant, direct contact, and it was positive. Ronaldo was really sorry, but also Ten Hag understood the player wanted to be involved more. They spoke about it, they had multiple conversations, and they decided to shake hands and now Ronaldo is back in the United first-team.

"We will now see if Jorge Mendes will continue to try to find a club for Ronaldo in January, but we know it won't be easy to get such a big deal done in the middle of the season.

"United would also have to find a new striker, and again it's not easy to find top players in January. Overall, I'm told that all the people in Manchester United think that Ten Hag handled this incident very well, board included."

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Ronaldo has found it difficult to show his best form for the Red Devils this season, only managing two goals and one assist in 12 appearances in all competitions.

The forward's contract at Old Trafford is due to expire next summer, and there have been claims that he could be allowed to leave on a free transfer at the start of 2023.

Sporting Lisbon have been heavily linked with their former player, but the Portuguese club's head coach Ruben Amorim has ruled out a move.

There is also believed to be interest from the MLS and Saudi Arabia, but a recent report claimed that Ronaldo would not be willing to consider leaving European football at this stage of his career.

Man United have another six games before the campaign breaks for the World Cup, with the team preparing to face Sheriff, West Ham United, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa twice and Fulham.