The Manchester United dressing room has reportedly made a decision regarding Cristiano Ronaldo that could seal his fate under Erik ten Hag.
The Portuguese forward has seen his role in the United team change this season in comparison to the previous campaign, after he started the Red Devils' past four Premier League matches on the bench.
United went on to win all four of those games, with the 37-year-old coming on as a substitute in all of them.
In the Manchester club's most recent fixture against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League, Ronaldo was handed a start, but the Red Devils succumbed to their first loss since Brentford – another game the veteran started.
According to The Sun, the United squad agrees with Ten Hag that the team is better off with Marcus Rashford up front ahead of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Ronaldo's intentions to leave in the most recent transfer window appear to have sabotaged his own chances of starting under Ten Hag, who has stated that the player's fitness is still not at an adequate level.
The report adds that the striker's presence in the team appears to damage some players' confidence on the ball as they feel pressured to pass to the forward.
A source told The Sun: "As long as Ronaldo starts on the bench, the players have the confidence to express themselves.
"All the players loved it when Ronaldo came back but they're frustrated he missed pre-season. Ronaldo's not up to speed and relies on instinct, but that doesn't work in Ten Hag's system.
"The manager wants Marcus to be United's No. 1 striker and lead the line up front."
Ten Hag is said to have set a 20-goal target for Rashford this season, and promised the 24-year-old he will do all he can to help him make England's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.
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