Cristiano Ronaldo must accept "he is not 25 years old" anymore and follow the examples of veterans Ryan Giggs, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paolo Maldini.
That was the message from Manchester United great Eric Cantona, who referenced the leading role Ibrahimovic has played at Milan despite his status diminishing to a squad role.
Ronaldo parted ways with United in an acrimonious exit after stating he felt "betrayed" by the club and had little respect for Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag and former interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
The Portugal forward started just 10 of United's 21 matches prior to his departure, though Cantona suggested the 37-year-old should have handled the situation in a different manner.
Ibrahimovic played through injury as Milan ended an 11-year wait for the Scudetto last term, scoring eight goals in 23 Serie A games to support Stefano Pioli's regular starters Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao.
Cantona told CalcioMercato: "There are two types of veterans: those who want to play every game because they still think they're 25 and those who realise they're not 25 and are here to help young players, they know they won't play every game, but they're aware that they'll have their moment.
"There are players who help new players: Ibrahimovic still does it with Milan, Ryan Giggs or Maldini himself when he was at Milan.
"Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't realise he's not 25 years old. He's already older and doesn't know that, instead of being unhappy about not having played all the time, he should accept the situation."
Ronaldo could make his debut for Al Nassr against Ettifaq next Sunday after missing clashes with Al Tai and Al Shabab due to a two-match ban from the English Football Association.
Emery: Chelsea are progressing under 'amazing' Potter
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has backed Graham Potter for long-term success at Chelsea and says there are already signs of progress at Stamford Bridge.
Potter succeeded Tuchel in the Chelsea dugout in early September, but his future was called into question following a run one win in 11 games to begin the year.
However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss has slowly turned things around, with Chelsea entering the international break on a run of three wins and a draw.
Villa boss Emery, who lasted 18 months at Arsenal before being sacked in November 2019, believes Potter fully deserves his chance to shine at a big club.
"He did amazing at Brighton and needs time to adapt his ideas at Chelsea," Emery said at Thursday's pre-match press conference. "Progressively, they're doing better and better.
"Tuchel's work was also amazing, but what Potter did with Brighton was really amazing and he deserved to take a step up with a team like Chelsea.
"They're now progressing. Everything he previously did with Brighton he can do as well with Chelsea. He just needs time.
"They have played well in the Champions League but have not been as consistent in the Premier League.
"But we know on Saturday we're playing one of the best teams in the Premier League. It's a good challenge for us and this is why I'm in the Premier League."
Villa have taken 10 points from their past 12 available, leaving them level on points with 10th-placed opponents Chelsea, and Emery is now targeting a top-half finish.
"When I arrived we were struggling at the bottom but the first reaction from the club, supporters, players, was amazing," Emery said. "Now we have escaped the bottom positions.
"Now we can think of our new challenge, which is to be in the top 10. This will start this Saturday. We think we have a good possibility to be there.
"The last four matches we played, scoring seven goals and conceding only one, winning three matches and drawing one, it was a very good moment for us."
Liverpool handed double injury boost ahead of Man City clash
Liverpool have been handed a fitness boost ahead of their crunch Premier League clash against Manchester City with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez returning to training.
Jurgen Klopp's side make the short trip to Manchester to tackle the defending champions on Saturday when league action resumes following the international break.
The Reds have their eyes firmly set on the hunt for a top-four finish, sitting seven points behind Tottenham but holding two games in hand over their managerless rivals.
City will certainly present a stern test but the return of Diaz, who has been out of action since suffering a knee injury during the loss to Arsenal in October, provides a timely boost.
Whether the Colombia international will be fit enough to tackle City remains to be seen, though Nunez's involvement adds a further boost to the squad.
Withdrawing from international duty with Uruguay after suffering an ankle injury during the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid earlier this month, Nunez's involvement suggests his return is also right around the corner.
UEFA orders Eintracht Frankfurt and PSV into partial stadium closures
UEFA has hit Eintracht Frankfurt and PSV with partial stadium closures after unsavoury scenes overshadowed European ties involving both clubs in February.
Both legs of Eintracht's 5-0 aggregate defeat to Napoli in the Champions League's last-16 were marred by violence, with clashes between supporters witnessed before the Partenopei's 2-0 away win on February 21.
Eintracht were subsequently charged with the lighting of fireworks and blocking of public passageways by UEFA, and the governing body has now fined the Bundesliga club a total of €70,000 and ordered them to close areas of Deutsche Bank Park for their next continental fixture.
The fear of further violence led Italian authorities to attempt to ban Eintracht supporters from travelling to Naples for the return fixture on March 15.
However, supporters clashed with local police after defying that measure, with footage on social media showing crowds throwing missiles at officers wielding riot shields.
Meanwhile, PSV have also been ordered to close sections of the Philips Stadion for their next UEFA game after a fan attacked Sevilla goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic during a Europa League match.
PSV suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat in the competition's knockout round play-offs, with the tie overshadowed by a supporter entering the pitch and throwing a punch at Dmitrovic in February's second leg in Eindhoven.
The 20-year-old man was given a two-month prison stint on March 8, as well as being made subject to a 40-year ban from PSV's stadium.
PSV have been fined €29,375 after UEFA investigated the incident, with the club also being charged with the throwing of objects at the same match.
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