The PL Team of the Season excluding Liverpool & City players has been named - no Ronaldo

What Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved since returning to Manchester United in the summer simply cannot be downplayed.

In perhaps the most dreadful Red Devils side of the Premier League era, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has still scored goals aplenty.

Ronaldo’s sensational strike in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Thursday evening was his 17th in the English top-flight this season.

Only Mohamed Salah (22) has found the back of the net more times.

But apparently scoring 17 goals, including eight against the ‘top six’, in a bang average United team is not enough to earn Ronaldo a place in a Premier League Team of the Season excluding Liverpool and Manchester City players.

Sky Sports asked Statman Dave and Kyle Walker (no, not the City right-back) to name their chosen XI and there’s no sign of United’s main man.

Instead, it’s Harry Kane – who’s scored only 12 goals in the league this season – who occupies the striker role in the team.

Check out the XI in full…

The XI: Jose Sa (Wolves), Reece James (Chelsea), Mohammed Salisu (Southampton), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Heung-min Son (Tottenham).

Overall, you have to say it’s a pretty tasty XI, although Ronaldo isn’t the only notable absentee.

West Ham goal machine Jarrod Bowen is incredibly unlucky to miss out, as is Crystal Palace’s midfield maestro Conor Gallagher.

However, you can also understand why Arsenal duo Saka and Odegaard have been selected ahead of them, as they’ve been key in helping the Gunners take pole position in the race for a top four finish.

England duo Rice and Ward-Prowse simply had to be