Pundits missed the point on Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani situations at Manchester United

On the walk to the press box at the Etihad on Sunday, a few of us passed a brusque Roy Keane, cause for dread for many inside the Manchester United dressing room.

Keane was devoid of a tie, now de rigueur at Sky taking as they take inspiration from Peter Mannion in their attempt to rebrand presenters and pundits. Keane looked typically gruff and you sensed then, three hours before kick-off, he would dominate the post-match news agenda.

The Manchester Evening News had revealed the night before the derby Cristiano Ronaldo was not in the squad. An Instagram fan account that is followed by Ronaldo posted he was not injured and had been dropped altogether. The post was liked by Ronaldo's sister.

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Unlike the last permanent United manager, Ralf Rangnick is not in the habit of fibbing about the fitness of players. The theory Ronaldo was cut at the expense of Hannibal Mejbri would kill a coach's credibility. Ronaldo was injured.

There was plenty for Keane to go at in the studio: “I just don’t like when the manager talks about this hip flexor. I don’t get it.

“We talk about Ronaldo being almost some sort of machine, he’s rarely ever injured. But every now and again he comes up with that, hip flexor. Doesn’t add up to me.”

Although he attempted some open surgery during his career, Keane is not a qualified doctor. Ronaldo missed two matches in January against Aston Villa with the same injury. A hip-related injury would significantly account for his lean spell and Ronaldo has been cumbersome since the turn of the year.

Punditry has been dumbed down in the last couple of years and studios are in need of an informative voice. Micah Richards, for such a ubiquitous pundit, had to be told by