"As things stand" - Romano reveals Manchester United's "plan" for Ronaldo after explosive interview

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo could be told not to return to Old Trafford after the World Cup following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo's interview with TalkTV presenter Morgan aired across two episodes this week and has sparked debate worldwide.

A few clips of the interview were released after United's emphatic win at Craven Cottage last weekend, which was also the last match of domestic football before the World Cup break.

Ronaldo joined up with his Portugal teammates this week for the tournament in Qatar.

United expected to tell Ronaldo "not to return"

Man United have responded to the interview and put out an official statement that read: "Manchester United has this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent media interview.

"We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion."

Ronaldo accused the club of failing to improve facilities and claimed manager Erik ten Hag has no respect for him.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has been staying on top of the developing story and in a recent post on Twitter, he said that United may tell the United forward he is not welcome to return to training with the club after the World Cup ends.

Romano tweeted: “It’s true that Manchester United are prepared to instruct Cristiano Ronaldo not to return to Carrington after World Cup, this is the plan as things stand. #MUFC This is one of the first steps after the interview — more will follow in the next days.”

It has also been widely reported that United could look to take legal action against the striker as the "club allege a breach of contract over his comments".