Erik ten Hag on if Cristiano Ronaldo will play for Manchester United vs. Brighton: 'We will see'

The transfer saga involving Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo continues to hover over new manager Erik ten Hag ahead of Sunday's Premier League season opener versus Brighton and Hove Albion that will occur at Old Trafford.

Most recently, Ten Hag blasted both Ronaldo and teammate Diogo Dalot after the pair was spotted leaving the stadium early and before this past Sunday's friendly against Rayo Vallecano finished. While speaking with reporters on Friday, Ten Hag refused to give a direct answer on whether or not CR7 will be available for selection this weekend. 

"We will see on Sunday," Ten Hag responded when asked if Ronaldo will start versus Brighton in place of the injured Anthony Martial, per Sky Sports News. Ten Hag added he is "really happy" Ronaldo is back among the squad after he skipped United's preseason tour of Thailand and Australia for supposed "family reasons."

The boss was also quick to point out that Ronaldo was not the only individual who made a premature exit before the Rayo Vallecano fixture ended in a 1-1 draw. 

"Now I have to point, those who left, there were many players who left but the spotlight is on Cristiano, that is not right, so do your research and make out many players left," Ten Hag remarked, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN. "You mention it, you correct them, then move on. I think we've said enough on it. I said it's not correct."

It's been reported that no club has made an official offer for Ronaldo's services this summer and that top-tier teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli have rejected opportunities to acquire the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Ten Hag, meanwhile, has insisted Ronaldo is not for sale and is in his plans for the upcoming campaign amid rumors the player wishes to leave United to sign for a Champions League side.