Former Manchester City winger Mike Summerbee, a close pal and business partner of Best, believes the late Irishman's 2008 counterpart at Old Trafford needn't worry too much about the threat of serious injury.

"Ronaldo is a world-class player and far above anyone else at beating defenders," Summerbee told the Manchester Evening News.

"When you are that quick and skilful you have to expect to be kicked and kicked. You have to expect to be man-marked at times. You cannot moan about the treatment you get you have to get on with it.

"George used to get kicked up and down dale by people who could really dish it out but he would be straight back up again because he didn't want his opponent to see he was hurt.

"He was a tough player himself and Ronaldo is over 6ft and a big strong lad. He can look after himself.

"Besides how much protection do players want these days? I don't see too many so-called ruthless players around these days unlike in the 60s and 70s.

"Broken legs and cut eyes are always going to be an occupational hazard of the job but I'd suggest that Ronaldo gets a few DVDs of George in the 60s and see what it was really like and how he coped.

"Or perhaps get a few pictures of Bestie's legs and ankles after matches. Players like George, Denis Law, Colin Bell, Francis Lee and myself always came off with bruises. It's the way it was. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was a tough guy himself in his playing days.

"Players of Ronaldo's quality have to expect a welcome reminder that they are in a match pretty early on.

"People talk about denying the public entertainment by allowing Ronaldo to be kicked out of a match but in the 60s, fans went to matches to see personal battles like Denis Law against Mike England of Spurs, or Francis Lee against Bill Foulkes and George Best against Dave Connor in derby matches. It was all part of it. That was part of the entertainment.

"It's not quite as much a physical contact sport as it was then but it is still a man's game.

"I can understand Ronaldo's frustration on Saturday because that was a blatant penalty by Sylvain Distin but he's got 30 goals this season so it can't all have been too bad."