Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Real Madrid’s squad for the Uefa Super Cup against the forward’s former club Manchester United in Skopje.
The Champions League winners take on the Europa League holders on Tuesday with the first continental silverware of the campaign up for grabs.
Madrid have included Ronaldo in their 24-man squad for the game against former head coach Jose Mourinho. Ronaldo only returned to first-team training on Saturday after a dramatic off-season that saw reports emerge he wanted to leave the club.
New signings Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos are also included, along with Ronaldo’s ‘BBC’ attacking teammates, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
📝 #RealMadrid 2⃣4⃣ 🆚 @ManUtd#RMSuperCup #RMMovistar pic.twitter.com/b0Drb0X3DO
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 7, 2017
Ronaldo’s arrival ahead of the new season came later than his teammates, due to his participation in the Confederations Cup with Portugal.
Since winning the Champions League, the forward has become the subject of a tax complaint from Spanish prosecutors, a case which saw him appear in court for a pre-trial hearing last week.
Ronaldo has consistently denied the claims of financial misdemeanour, and his apparent unhappiness at the investigation prompted reports he no longer wanted to play in Spain.
Great to be back!👍🏼⚽ pic.twitter.com/AKjVLn05AQ
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) August 5, 2017
The former Manchester United star is now expected to stay with Madrid, who have offered the forward their support and believe he will be proven innocent. However, speculation over his desire to return to England, which he reportedly referenced during his day at court, continues.
Prosecutors allege the 32-year-old has evaded €14.7-million in taxes between 2011 and 2014, relating to his image rights .
The four-time Ballon d’Or winner is alleged to have created a ‘business structure’ in 2010 to conceal his earnings, a claim which has also been strenuously denied by his management company Gestifute.
After taking on United, Madrid will play the two-legged Supercopa de Espana against fierce rivals Barcelona prior to the new La Liga season.
– This story originally appeared on FourFourTwo.co.za
