Cristiano Ronaldo sends Manchester United message after being dropped vs Liverpool

Cristiano Ronaldo posted a message to fans on Instagram after being dropped from Manchester United's line-up in Monday’s 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Erik ten Hag made four statement changes from the side that slumped to a 4-0 defeat to Brentford, one of which saw Anthony Elanga come in for Ronaldo, with Marcus Rashford chosen to lead the line.

The 37-year-old watched on from the sidelines as Jadon Sancho and Rashford fired home prior to his introduction on 86 minutes. Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford remains unclear with just nine days until transfer deadline day.

READ MORE: Ten Hag addresses Cristiano Ronaldo role after he was dropped vs Liverpool

He has vowed to explain all about his season’s plans in the next few weeks, although his manager told Sky Sports he “doesn’t know what he [Ronaldo] wants to achieve by doing this.”

The player’s summer has been somewhat disruptive, making clear his desire to leave United before missing the club’s Thailand and Australia tour due to family reasons. It meant he played just 45 minutes in pre-season and was benched for the opening loss to Brighton.

He was handed a first start against Brentford but would be axed from the line-up against Liverpool. After the Monday's game, though, he still took to Instagram to thank fans for their support.

He wrote: “Well done @manchesterunited. Thank you for your support, Old Trafford.” Lisandro Martinez, who had a tremendous outing in the Liverpool win, reacted to the post with clapping emojis while youngster Alejandro Garnacho commented “N1” - or 'number one'.

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