Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said Cristiano Ronaldo should have started last weekend's 1-1 home draw with Everton instead of being brought on as a second-half substitute by current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ronaldo came on just before the hour mark with United leading 1-0 but Everton grabbed an equaliser in the 65th minute and held on for the draw.
In a video posted on social media, Ferguson is heard telling mixed martial arts great Khabib Nurmagomedov that Everton were given a boost "when they saw Ronaldo wasn't playing ..."
When Nurmagomedov reminded Ferguson that Ronaldo came on in the second half, the Scot added: "Yeah I know ... but you should always start with your best players."
Ronaldo has said Ferguson, who first signed him as an 18-year-old from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, played a big role in the player coming back to Old Trafford.
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United, who have 14 points from seven league games, will take on Leicester City on Oct. 16 in the next round of matches following the international break.