Al-Nassr boss Jorge Jesus has taken the decision of leaving captain Cristiano Ronaldo out of the squad that will face Istiqlol in their AFC Champions League Two opener. The Saudi giants will campaign in the second tier of Asian football this season, having failed to secure qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite through the league pathway. A report from Saudi news outlet Ariyadhiah (via @TheNassrZone) has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo will be left out of the squad to face Istiqlol. The Tajik side will make the trip to Saudi Arabia, where the Group D opener will take place at Al-Awwal Park on Thursday, September 18th.Ronaldo and Al-Nassr have begun the 2025-26 season excellently, quickly bouncing back from their Saudi Super Cup defeat to Al-Ahli last month. They have won both of their games in the league this season and are yet to concede a goal, and are leading the standings. Al-Nassr handed their captain and superstar forward a new two-year contract earlier this summer to keep him tied to the club until 2027. The 40-year-old former Manchester United man has yet to win any silverware since his arrival at the club, and will hope to rectify this anomaly this season.Even with Cristiano Ronaldo left out, Jesus' side still have sufficient firepower to overcome a side that is third in Tajikistan's top-flight. The club and manager will look to manage the minutes of their illustrious forward to help him remain in the best shape possible. Portugal coach makes admission about Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal coach Ricardo Carvalho has spoken about the future of Al-Nassr ace Cristiano Ronaldo and when he thinks the forward will end his career. The 40-year-old remains a key player for club and country despite his age, and is expected to be at the FIFA World Cup next year. Carvalho, a former teammate of Ronaldo's, played alongside the forward for Portugal and Real Madrid during his playing days. In a chat with A Bola, the former defender praised the five-time Ballon d'Or winner for his continued impact, pointing out that he expects Ronaldo to keep going for as long as he wants."I feel like it will be as long as he wants. The truth is, he's earned so much credit over all these years… And I think he's doing well, which is the most important thing. It helps; you feel like he's part of the team, and you feel like he can help. Coach Roberto, especially, had all the merit in bringing him back to the national team after the 2022 World Cup. The coach's feeling, in the meetings we've had, is that Cristiano will be capable of making it to the World Cup. I have no idea how long he can go, if there's a limit or not, but we're all very happy that he's our captain and leading the team the way he has", he said via Foxsports.com.Cristiano Ronaldo penned a lucrative extension with Al-Nassr that will see him remain in the Saudi Pro League beyond the World Cup next summer. With 100 goals already scored for the Saudi giants, his next big target is to reach 1,000 career goals.