Cristiano Ronaldo Left UK Instead Of Attending Man City Vs Man United

Cristiano Ronaldo was not at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to watch his Manchester United teammates lose 4-1 to rivals Man City.

Cristiano Ronaldo was not at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to watch his Manchester United teammates lose 4-1 to rivals Man City.

His absence from the field was due to a hip flexor injury, according to United manager Ralf Rangnick - although Ronaldo's sister and Roy Keane were seemingly not convinced by this excuse.

But why was Ronaldo not at the match to offer support?

According to The Athletic, Ronaldo was not even in England when Sunday's Manchester derby kicked off.

The 37-year-old is said to have flown to Portugal after reporting his injury to the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo pictured at Lisbon airport after Euro 2020 :: IMAGO/Pedro Fiuza

United players are not contractually obliged to attend first-team fixtures when they are unavailable for selection but they often do so anyway.

The Athletic's report claimed that Ronaldo's teammates were surprised by his decision to stay away from Sunday's big game.

Although Ronaldo is not United's captain, he is known to be influential in the locker room.

United face two signifiant home matches in the next week and a half, but it remains to be seen if Ronaldo will be available for them.

First up is a Premier League clash on Saturday with Tottenham, who are among United's chief rivals for a top-four finish.

Three days later, Atletico Madrid visit Old Trafford for the second leg of a Champions League last 16 tie that is currently poised at 1-1.