Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on against Tottenham on Wednesday night.
The Red Devils ran out 2-0 winners against Antonio Conte's men, but all the talk after the game was centred around Ronaldo's decision to storm down the tunnel as the second-half neared stoppage time.
Ronaldo has seen his second spell at Old Trafford plummet to a new low, with many at first believing that he trudged down the tunnel without the permission of his manager because of the fact he wasn't going to be brought on at any point in the game.
However, Ten Hag's most recent comments offer some clarity surrounding the situation and explain all is not what it initially seemed.
"What the talk - if you ask about that - is between Cristiano and me," Ten Hag said. "The statement is also clear, I think. He remains an important player in the squad.
"I am the manager, I am responsible for the culture here and I have to set standards and values and I have to control them. In the team, we have values and standards and I have to control that.
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"After Vallecano, I told him it was unacceptable but not him everyone, this is the second time, there are consequences. We miss him tomorrow. It's a miss for the squad but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group and now we have to focus on Chelsea as that is important."
The Dutchman was pressed for comment over whether Ronaldo directly refused to come on against Tottenham, to which he bluntly replied: "Yes."
Certain parts of Ten Hag's assessment of the situation come as quite the surprise. Despite the fall-out of Ronaldo's temper tantrum on Wednesday night, the United boss is leaving the door open for a return for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
The decision to reiterate how Ronaldo remains an important player in this United squad is eye-opening, especially considering how limited the forward's game time has been under Ten Hag this term.
Ronaldo has managed the full 90 minutes on just one occasion so far this term, with that particular outing coming during the memorable humiliating 4-0 defeat away at Brentford back in August.
While his absence for the trip to Stamford Bridge has since been confirmed, it remains to be seen just how often Ten Hag will look to use Ronaldo beyond this coming weekend.
