Cristiano Ronaldo excluded from line-up as Al-Nassr face St. Johann in Tirol in first pre-season game under Jorge Jesus

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the club's first pre-season game of the summer after being excluded from the matchday squad by Jorge Jesus. The Knights of Najd will face Austrian club SK St. Johann in a friendly later today (Saturday, July 26).

The club posted the official starting XI on X:

After helping Portugal win the UEFA Nations League last month, Ronaldo was reportedly granted permission by Al-Nassr to report a week late to pre-season training. The 40-year-old reunited with his teammates on Friday, July 25, posting on Instagram:

"It starts now. Eyes on the future. We are all in!"

According to a source associated with the Al-Riyadh newspaper, Al-Nassr boss Jorge Jesus has excluded Cristiano Ronaldo from the matchday squad to face St. Johann. Additionally, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Salem Al-Najdi, Ali Al-Hassan, Ayman Yahya, and Mubarak Al-Boenain have also missed out.

Instead, the aforementioned players will reportedly participate in an evening training session to get back to full fitness. They will be aiming to return to the matchday squad in Al-Nassr's upcoming pre-season friendly against Toulouse on July 30.

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"He's far beyond the world of football" - Jorge Jesus waxes lyrical about Cristiano Ronaldo

Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus recently praised Cristiano Ronaldo, hailing him as the world's greatest celebrity. His comments arrived days after replacing Stefano Pioli as the Knights of Najd's manager on July 14, despite having previously managed local rivals Al-Hilal.

Jesus made an appearance on RTP’s Primeira Pessoa, where he stated (via GOAL):

“It's a sporting challenge. Ronaldo is different, even in biological age, which is why he's 40 and still playing. We both think very much alike outside of football. I'm 70, but I don't feel it in my psychological and physical life. Ronaldo is a global figure. We don't know how to value Ronaldo in Portugal. He's the world's greatest human figure. He's the world's greatest celebrity. He's far beyond the world of football."

Jesus will be hoping to reverse Al-Nassr's fortunes and help Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. win silverware this season. Ronaldo recorded 35 goals and four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions last season, but this wasn't enough to get his side over the line in any competition.

Edited by Silas Sud