Ronaldo must 'force his way back' to Man Utd lineup, Rooney says

The Man Utd superstar has failed to secure a lineup spot under Erik ten Hag.

Wayne Rooney has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to stay patient amid his struggle for form at Manchester United.

Ronaldo has lost his place in Man Utd’s lineup since Erik ten Hag’s arrival this summer.

The likes of Marcos Rashford and Antony are the Dutchman’s regular starters up front. But Rooney believes Ronaldo can fight his way back to the lineup by staying patient and using his opportunities.

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“The manager’s obviously gone a different way in terms of how they’re playing and been successful,” the Man Utd legend said.

“Cristiano… him and [Lionel] Messi are two of the greatest players to ever play the game, but ultimately time catches up with us all.

“He’s obviously not the player he was when he was 22 or 23, for instance. It’s a tough one for him.

“Knowing him, it’ll be very difficult to sit on the bench. I’m sure if he stays patient, his chance will come and it’s then him taking those chances and trying to force his way back in.”

Ronaldo has registered 12 shots in his 207 minutes of playing time for the Red Devils so far this season. However, the Portuguese superstar has failed to score despite generating an expected goal (XG) value of 0.8.