- Ronaldo captain after Spurs walkout
- First time he captains side under Ten Hag
- No Maguire or Fernandes in starting XI so given armband
WHAT HAPPENED? Ronaldo has been named United captain for their clash against Aston Villa in the absence of Bruno Fernandes. The move comes just weeks after the Portuguese striker left the stadium early against Tottenham and was subsequently forced to train away from the main squad for a few days.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo's walkout against Spurs caused a lot of issues for Erik Ten Hag in the following days. The striker missed a crunch match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and it ramped up feeling that the striker could force a move in the January transfer window.
WHAT THEY SAID: Ten Hag insisted the decision to make Ronaldo captain was the correct one. He told the BBC: "Nothing changed, when you are captain and leader you have to set an example and that is what I expect from him. He is an important part of the squad, we are happy with him and now he has to taken even more of the leader role."
