Cristiano Ronaldo Hints He Will Make His Manchester United Return Against Rayo Vallecano

Cristiano Ronaldo could be in line to make his first appearance for Manchester United under new manager Erik ten Hag after hinting he will feature against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Ronaldo has not played a single game for United in pre-season after handing in a transfer request earlier this month.

The 37-year-old informed the club he wants to leave this summer if a suitable offer arrives in order to play Champions League football this season.

Ronaldo was left at home for United's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia and the Portugal international has not been included in Ten Hag's latest squad to face Atletico Madrid in Oslo, Norway on Saturday.

However, Ronaldo has now suggested he will play against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, when United are expected to field a largely second-string side at Old Trafford.

Responding to a post on Instagram that claimed he had been left out of both squads, Ronaldo replied: "Domingo o rei joga", which translates from Portuguese as "Sunday the king plays".

Ronaldo has suggested he will play for United on Sunday (Image: Instagram)

The match against Rayo Vallecano is United's final pre-season friendly before the start of the new Premier League season.

The Red Devils host Brighton in their opening match of the campaign on August 7.

Ronaldo returned to United on Tuesday along with his agent Jorge Mendes to hold face-to-face talks with the club over his future.

Reports claim those negotiations have failed to convince Ronaldo to stay, with the forward still keen to leave this summer.

But United manager Ten Hag insists the five-time Ballon d'Or winner remains part of his plans for the upcoming campaign.

Ronaldo has not yet played for United in pre-season (Image: Alamy)

Speaking earlier this month, Ten Hag said: "We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for the season and that's it and I'm looking forward to working with him.

"I have read things but what I say is Cristiano is not for sale, he is in our plans and we want success together.

"I spoke with him before this issue came up, I had a conversation with him and I had a good talk.

"That is between Cristiano and me, what I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together."

Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Football, Manchester United, Premier League

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan