Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Manchester United’s Premier League match against Liverpool on Wednesday (AEDT) because of the pass away of his newborn son, which occurred on Monday.
After sharing the news on social media on Monday, Ronaldo and his family received an outpouring of sympathy from people all around the world, including many from the footballing community.
United announced on Tuesday that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be available for his team’s critical match against bitter rivals Liverpool.
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According to a statement on the Manchester United website, “Family is more important than everything, and Ronaldo is supporting his loved ones during this extremely difficult moment.”
Because of this, we can announce that he will not play in Tuesday’s match against Liverpool at Anfield, and we reiterate the family’s appeal for confidentiality.”
“Cristiano, please know that we are all thinking of you and sending our best wishes to your family.”
Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez announced their pregnancy with twins in a social media post in October of last year.
When they announced the death of their son, they also announced the birth of a daughter to be named after him.
“It is with great sadness that we must announce the death of our son, who was born prematurely.” The greatest agony that any parent can experience is this,” Ronaldo and Rodriguez said in a statement signed by both of their names.
We can only live this moment with a glimmer of hope and happiness because of the birth of our baby girl,” says the couple. We would like to express our gratitude to the doctors and nurses for providing us with expert care and support.
“We are absolutely crushed by this loss, and we respectfully request that you respect our privacy during this extremely difficult time.”
In addition to a four-year-old daughter, the couple also has three more children, all of whom were born to Cristiano Ronaldo when he was at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo’s Manchester United teammates also expressed their condolences. “Thoughts and prayers are with you and Georgina, brother, please accept my heartfelt condolences,” forward Marcus Rashford expressed on Twitter.
With a simple heart emoji, David de Gea responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s declaration about the club.
A statement from Liverpool read: “All of us here at Liverpool FC extend our heartfelt sympathies to you and your family.”
At Old Trafford on Saturday, Ronaldo struck a hat-trick as Manchester United defeated Norwich 3-2.
It will be a big setback to fifth-placed United as they look to strengthen their chances of finishing in the top four against Liverpool, who can move above Manchester City and into first place if they avoid defeat against the Reds.