Following his storming off before the end of Wednesday’s win against Tottenham, Cristiano Ronaldo has been benched for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea by Manchester United.

Ronaldo was one of the replacements for the match against Spurs as United thrashed Antonio Conte’s team 2-0 on the strength of goals from Bruno Fernandes and Fred.

Also read: Erik ten Hag on Ronaldo walking off: ‘I will deal with that tomorrow’

Erik ten Hag‘s decision to leave Ronaldo off the field resulted in a public outburst of anger as the 37-year-old strolled down the Old Trafford sideline and up the tunnel before the final whistle.

After the loss, the United manager claimed he would “deal with” Ronaldo on Thursday after it was revealed he wouldn’t play in the team’s trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

 “Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture,” the club statement read.

Also read: Ronaldo vs Erik Ten Hag: Tensions in Manchester United’s dressing room

Although Cristiano Ronaldo frequently makes headlines, his petulant departure couldn’t overshadow the team led by Erik ten Hag’s players taking yet another positive step in the right path.

Ronaldo, who was an unused replacement, complained that he was given little to do when United defeated Tottenham 2-0 thanks to goals from Fred and Bruno Fernandes, but his complaints are unjustified given how well United played.

From beginning to end, United outplayed a weak Spurs team, proving their continuous acclimatisation to Ten Hag’s strategies with an offensive performance as thorough as any at Old Trafford in recent memory, much alone since the Dutchman took over.

Also read: Ronaldo faces fans’ wrath for walking off before Man United vs Tottenham match’s end

The result might have been much more disastrous if it weren’t for the efforts of Hugo Lloris. United made 28 shots on goal, the most of any team in a Premier League game this season and the most Antonio Conte had ever allowed as a manager.

Ronaldo was a bench player against Liverpool, Arsenal, and now Spurs, all of which United won with increasing ease. It is obvious that the team is already adjusting to life without him. His obstinacy will only hasten that.