There was plenty of intrigue when Ralf Rangnick named his Manchester United starting eleven to face Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Cristiano Ronaldo was pictured in training earlier this week but was not named in the matchday squad at all.
As per the BBC, Rangnick explained that Ronaldo has a hip issue which meant he was unable to train on Friday. That means he has been left out here.
Marcus Rashford is also not involved, and he apparently has a dead leg and did not respond well to the treatment.
Rashford’s form has been the subject of much conjecture in recent days, after some part of Old Trafford reacted noisily when he did not chase in a rebound on Monday night.
Perhaps stepping back from the limelight is not the worst idea for Rashford, and we will wait to see whether he is able to play on Wednesday against Brentford.
Rashford’s England teammate Harry Maguire is another who has had a tough season but he is back in the squad after a recent injury.
Rangnick also offered an update on the United captain, and suggested he is fit enough to start but the season he is not is because he was happy with Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane on Monday night.
Jadon Sancho is also back in the squad after being left out and he will hope to feature off the bench.
The attacking absentees have handed Anthony Elanga an opportunity to make his first start of the season, which is an exciting development for a player who has caught the eye with his cameos under Rangnick.
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