Speaking to the media after Sunday’s game, Erik ten Hag explained his decision to take Cristiano Ronaldo off the pitch: “We have to cover four games in 10 days and especially for the strikers, I want to keep them fresh.
“I want to keep them all fresh, we have to rotate there. Some problems we have — Anthony Martial is not available in this moment, then Marcus Rashford was not well, so he did not have energy for the whole game.
“So we had to plan to cover for the four games because we want to win or at least get a result in all four games. So that was the feeling I had. I brought freshness with Rashy, he had an impact, if he scores, everything is right.”
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Ronaldo, who was included in the starting XI against Newcastle on Sunday, was openly fuming when Ten Hag substituted him in the second half.
Rashford, who was brought on for the 37-year-old, had a great chance to break the deadlock but the game Old Trafford ended in a goalless draw.