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Ronaldo announces United return: 'Sunday, the king plays'

Chloe Knott - Danehouse / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Speculation over Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United could begin to ease over the next week.

Ronaldo could be included in new manager Erik ten Hag's squad for the first time this summer after suggesting Friday he'll play in Sunday's preseason match against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford.

"Sunday, the king plays," Ronaldo said on Instagram, as translated by The Guardian's Fabrizio Romano.

A return to the squad could bring an end to mounting speculation over Ronaldo's future. The 37-year-old reportedly informed United of his desire to leave this summer to play for a Champions League club this coming season.

But Ronaldo, who was left off United's 21-man squad for Saturday's friendly against Atletico Madrid in Norway, claimed Friday that recent stories in the press have been false.

"Impossible not to talk about me one day," Ronaldo said on Instagram, according to the BBC, in response to an article saying he wanted to leave United. "Otherwise the press makes no money.

"You know that if you don't lie, you can't get people's attention."

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