Cristiano Ronaldo could make his return to Manchester United even sooner than expected after he was released from international duty by Portugal.
Ronaldo’s booking against Republic of Ireland on Wednesday night means he is suspended for Portugal’s next World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, so coach Fernando Santos has decided not to play his captain in Saturday’s friendly away to Qatar.
United’s £19.6million signing can now accelerate his move back to Manchester, although he will still need to have a work permit and visa in place before entering the UK.