Why did Cristiano Ronaldo not feature in Al-Nassr's win against Jeddah? Manager Jorge Jesus reveals reason for Portugal star's absence

Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus opened up on why Cristiano Ronaldo and other top stars did not start in the side's King Cup of Champions fixture. The Portuguese manager revealed that he was looking to keep his top players fit as they had played in a game just three days prior.

He said (via Al Nassr Zone on Twitter):

“I did not include Cristiano Ronaldo, nor Joao and the other stars from the start because they played a match just 3 days ago, and I was preserving them from a fitness perspective for the league competitions, and we are preparing ourselves physically and mentally for the upcoming match.”

It ended up being a comfortable win for the Saudi Pro League outfit against their second-division opponents, winning 4-0. While the 40-year-old superstar did not feature at all, Joao Felix, Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman all came off the bench.

The clash came three days after Al-Nassr's fixture against Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League. Ronaldo had played the full 90 minutes, scoring twice en route to a 5-1 win. With an important clash against Al-Ittihad on the horizon, the rest could prove beneficial for the striker.

It has been a strong start to the season for the side as they search for their first piece of major silverware since the former Manchester United star's move to the Middle East. They are currently top of the table with three wins out of three and a strong +11 GD.

Al-Nassr maintain winning run as Cristiano Ronaldo's national teammate continues to impress

Felix has hit the ground running.

Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr made it five wins out of five to begin their campaign, notching up a 4-0 win over second-tier Jeddah in the first round of the King Cup. Goals from Wesley, Joao Felix and Mohamed Simakan in the second half following an own goal in the first ensured their progress to the next round.

Felix looks to be an incredible signing for Al-Nassr, joining from Chelsea in the summer transfer window for a reported package of €50 million including add-ons. He has hit the ground running, collecting five goals and one assist in just three league games and is currently the top scorer.

Ronaldo's men head into a huge clash at the top of the table on Friday, going up against Al-Ittihad. Both sides have won all three league games to begin their campaign with Jorge Jesus' side on top by goal difference.