Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick says he did not want to risk Cristiano Ronaldo against Aston Villa after he reported hip problems.
The Portuguese was left out of the 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, which saw United advance to the FA Cup fourth-round.
Scott McTominay's first-half proved the difference between the two sides.
"I spoke with Cristiano yesterday before training, he told me that he's had some problems for the last couple of days," Rangnick said via the club's official website prior to kick-off.
"Minor problems, but in the end, we decided that it made more sense to not take any risks in a game that could easily last 120 minutes, so we just decided to rest him, not play him at all.
"I suppose he will be in the stadium but he had some problems with his hip, with his hip muscle, and we just decided that it would be better for him not to play this game."
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