Cristiano Ronaldo still needed at Man Utd insists Erik ten Hag
Cristiano Ronaldo was left dazed and with a bloodied nose after a collision during Portugal's Nations League clash with Czech Republic on Saturday. The veteran forward was given medical attention following the incident.
Ronaldo challenged with Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik for a high ball and came off far worse than the shot-stopper. Vaclik made a fair attempt to play the ball, punching it away from the penalty area.
But the Olympiacos star appeared to accidentally catch Ronaldo with his elbow as the Manchester United icon attempted to head the cross into the net. Ronaldo was left flattened following the collision.
The 37-year-old was seen with a huge amount of blood in and around his nose. He appeared dazed as he sat on the turf while team-mates checked on his wellbeing.
Cristiano Ronaldo was left with a bloodied nose (Image: POLSAT SPORT NEWS)
Cristiano Ronaldo was left dazed following the collision (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
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Portugal's medical team spent time plastering the cut on Ronaldo's nose before putting him through a concussion test. They then led the legendary striker to the side of the pitch to clear up the remaining blood, with players unable to play in blood-stained kit.
It was a challenging evening for Ronaldo, who also missed a glaring chance to score with the game still goalless. A pass was played back to the Portugal captain in plenty of space just inside the penalty area but he completely miscued his effort.
Nevertheless, United team-mates Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes both scored first-half goals to put Portugal into a comfortable lead at the break.
Ronaldo has endured a tough campaign with the Red Devils, having failed in his desperate attempt to leave the club during the summer. He has been dropped to the substitutes' bench for the last four Premier League games, having failed to score in the top-flight this term.
The former Real Madrid goalscorer bagged his first of the season in United's Europa League victory over Sheriff before the international break. He scored from the penalty spot in the 2-0 win, and is building his fitness following a disrupted pre-season.
Ronaldo was keen to leave United over their failure to qualify for the Champions League. However, there were few clubs who saw a deal for the £500,000 per-week man as financially viable.