Ronaldo faces his first season without Champions League football

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United is looking increasingly worrying, despite his consistent ability to find the back of the net, having scored 17 goals from 28 Premier League games.

In fact, the 37-year-old is the second-top scorer in the Premier League, only behind Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

However, United are enduring one of their worst seasons in recent history and are five points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, having played two more games.

"There is no point in talking and speculating now about the Champions League," Ralf Rangnick said ahead of United's game with Chelsea earlier this week.

"We must be realistic. Not even winning the four games we have ahead [now three] would be in our hands to qualify for the Champions League."

Following their 1-1 draw against Chelsea, the Red Devils were strongly criticised by former captain Roy Keane.

"I think their heads are gone now," Keane told Sky Sports.

"There is no intensity, all season they've been giving up a lot of opportunities, we've seen it again tonight."

The reality is that United's season has been a failure, despite the big-name signings that arrived in the summer such as Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Ronaldo, who has seen how his homecoming has become a nightmare that may end without a spot in the Champions League next season.

Ronaldo has never missed the Champions League

Since making his debut for Sporting CP in 2002/03, Ronaldo has always played in the Champions League.

Even in that first season as a youth player, he played a third-round qualifying match with the Lions against Inter, although they did not qualify and instead played in the UEFA Cup.

In the subsequent 2003/04 campaign, already as a United player, Ronaldo debuted in the group stage of the Champions League in a 2-1 defeat against Stuttgart.

Since then, he has always played and is the all-time Champions League top goalscorer (140 goals), while he also has the record for the most goals in a season (17), most goals in the knockout stages (67), most games played (187) and has played in three finals.

Remarkably, Ronaldo's incredible run to feature in Europe's biggest competition could come to an end if he stays at United, something Rangnick couldn't confirm.

"Continuity is something we should talk about between Erik ten Hag and the board and me," said Rangnick.

"Cristiano has one more year on his contract, but it's also important to find out what he wants, if he wants to stay."

Ronaldo, who has scored eight of United's last nine goals, is set to face a unique season in his remarkable career.