EPL: Ralf Rangnick rejects speculation of Cristiano Ronaldo injury | football news

MANCHESTER (AP) — Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has dismissed any suggestion that Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from his team for Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Manchester City was due to more than just a shoulder injury. hip.
Former United captain Roy Keane questioned how genuine the injury was during the Sky Sports derby broadcast, saying: “We talk about Ronaldo being kind of a machine, he rarely gets injured and then every now and then he comes out. .. and it says hip flexor. It doesn’t fit me.”

Keane made similar comments after the game and Rangnick was asked at his news conference to respond.
“The doctor came to see me on Friday and told me that Cristiano can’t train because of a hip flexor problem and the same thing happened on Saturday and that’s why he couldn’t be part of the squad,” Rangnick said.
“It is a fact that if the players tell the medical department that they are injured and cannot play, I have to accept it,” he added.

United were also without their Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani due to injury, but Rangnick said he was fit enough to train.
“Edi trained in the last three days, he trained well, but after those three training sessions yesterday afternoon I still felt that he was still not fit to play. This is a fact. As a coach, I can’t force a player if he doesn’t does.” feel fit enough or well enough to play,” said the German.
United have slipped out of the top four after their defeat and Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Watford left them a point behind the Gunners having played three more games and Rangnick said there was little room for error.
“Actually, I didn’t expect Arsenal to lose at Watford, so for us it’s clear, if we still want a chance to finish fourth at the end of the season, we can hardly lose any more points,” he said.