Gary Neville explains what Ronaldo needs to do this week to protect Man Utd's legacy

Gary Neville has explained what Cristiano Ronaldo needs to do this week to avoid a 'messy end' to his Manchester United career.

Ronaldo was dropped for the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday after refusing to substitute Tottenham on Wednesday and storming through the Old Trafford tunnel and out of the stadium.

The striker issued a statement of regret in which he admitted 'the heat of the moment' had gotten to him, but manager Erik ten Hag faces a tough decision on whether to reinstate him in the team.

And Neville insists Ronaldo 'cannot go beyond January 1' at United and must make his desire to leave clear to Ten Hag and the board this week.

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Speaking on his podcast, Neville said: "The best thing for him to do this week is to go see Richard Arnold, John Murtough, Erik ten Hag, call a meeting and say 'my time is up here. . Let me go to the World Cup, let me go in January and choose a club of my choice.'

"We don't want this messy end to something that could be so great, namely Ronaldo's relationship and feeling about the club and vice versa. I also understand Cristiano's point of view, but he there is a way to do it.

"He has to end it now, for both sides. It can't go beyond January 1. Ronaldo has only started twice in the Premier League all season, his only goal in the competition against Everton at the beginning of the month.

But according to The Athletic, the chances of Ronaldo being allowed to leave in January are slim.

The report states:

'Ten Hag is adamant he wants Ronaldo an option for the rest of the season, but first wants to know how the Portuguese feels about the situation and if he can accept not starting every week .

‘If Ronaldo accepts flexibility over his selection and expresses his contrition, he is expected to join first-team training. If he rejects a reduced role and insists on moving on again, then Ten Hag would allow him to explore the search for a new club again.

“An alternative could be United reaching an agreement with him over his due salary, negotiating a one-off sum worth less than the overall contract commitment, but in reality that is a remote possibility. After going over budget this summer, United have little financial leeway and wouldn't pay Ronaldo to sign elsewhere.

“Even as things stand, January is shaping up to be a quiet month for United, and signing a replacement is not on the cards unless an emergency solution low cost can be found. Paying first to let Ronaldo go doesn't fit from United's perspective.