Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in the starting XI for his first game since returning to Manchester United, a home Premier League clash with Newcastle United.
Ronaldo, 36, rejoined Manchester United last month from Juventus and has gone straight into the matchday squad for the Red Devils’ first match. It will be his first appearance for the Red Devils since the 2009 Champions League final and a first outing at Old Trafford since a group stage win in the same competition with Juventus in November 2018.
On his return to England’s north west, Ronaldo said: “Of course I will be nervous on Saturday, but I am more mature, I am more experienced. I will be prepared and I am going to make pressure to Ole now to start in the XI [laughs]. I am ready to go!
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“I am not here for vacation. As I told you, before was good, winning important things and I wore the shirt before many years ago, but I am here to win again.
“I am capable, me and my team-mates. I am ready to go, I am ready to go. It is a good chance for me, for the supporters, for the club, to get one step ahead. I am ready and I think I will be a huge thing in the next three or four years.”
Ronaldo has played just two hours of football so far this season — he asked to be left out of the starting XI for Juventus’ opener against Udinese and was omitted entirely for the following match — but his new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has no concerns over the veteran’s form.
“He’s been having a good pre-season with Juventus, he’s played for the national team, he’s had a good week with us here. He’ll definitely be on the pitch at some point, that’s for sure,” Solskjaer said. “He’s been good [in training]. Of course, we’ve followed his career from afar since he left here and everyone’s very happy to have him back.
