Rangnick hails Ronaldo's 'best performance since I arrived' vs Spurs

Ralf Rangnick saw Cristiano Ronaldo score a stunning hat-trick as Manchester United sank Tottenham at Old Trafford, and then said: 'Maybe he should go to Portugal every week!'

Ronaldo caused a stir last weekend by flying home when he was ruled out of the Manchester derby with a hip flexor injury amid speculation he was unhappy about being a substitute.

But the 37-year-old superstar came roaring back after just two days of training this week to revive United's hopes of a top-four finish as they beat Spurs 3-2.

Rangnick admitted that managing Ronaldo is 'a challenge', having previously revealed that he did not know about the player's flit home.

But United's interim boss added: 'We were just joking and maybe it makes sense to send him to Portugal for three days, then have him not training for two days, then have him back training on Thursday, if that's the way he performs. Maybe we'll have to do that for the rest of the season.

'He was on a similar level in training on Thursday by the way, which is why I decided after that training session to play him from the start.

'He made the difference for sure, but not only for the three goals. That was the best performance from him, at least since I arrived here, on and off the ball.'

Asked about managing a player like Ronaldo, Rangnick said: 'Yeah it is challenging. It's a challenge with a player like him.

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