(Reuters) – Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo will return for their Premier League clash with Everton after overcoming illness but defender Luke Shaw will be unavailable for up to three weeks, interim manager Ralf Rangnick said on Friday.
Ronaldo, United’s top goalscorer this season with 12 league goals, will be back after missing their 1-1 draw with Leicester City last weekend while Shaw is set for a spell out due to follow-up treatment for a broken leg sustained in 2015.
“Cristiano is back again,” Rangnick told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game. “Luke is still injured, we had to take him off at halftime (against Leicester), he’s had his problems with his leg where he had the operation in 2015.
“The doctor told me they decided to remove two metal bolts in his leg and this will happen tomorrow and he will be out for the next two or three weeks.
“Edinson Cavani is still injured, Raphael Varane is injured and will miss out again tomorrow and the same is true for Scott McTominay, he’s having problems with the sole of his foot.”
Rangnick, whose side are seventh with 51 points from 30 games, said their mentality, attitude and physicality would play a crucial role against Everton who are a point and a place above the relegation zone.
“These factors will decide the game,” Rangnick said. “We’re aware of the importance of the game for both sides.”
Rangnick’s tenure is set to end after this season, with Ajax Amsterdam boss Erik ten Hag a candidate to take over, but the interim boss was not drawn into talk about his successor.
“I don’t intend to speak about any possible new managers,” Rangnick said. “From what I know, all the managers with whom the club have so far spoken are top managers, top coaches.
“If this includes Erik ten Hag, then it’s also true with him. That’s all I can say at this stage.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
