Cristiano Ronaldo made a strong return for Al-Nassr in their 5-2 win over Al-Najma in the Saudi Pro League on April 3. The Portuguese star had been out for nearly a month due to a hamstring injury. Despite the break, he looked sharp on the field. He also looked confident on his comeback. Ronaldo scored twice in the second half. The icon’s goals helped his team secure a comfortable victory. His performance reminded fans of his importance to the squad.However, the big talking point came when Ronaldo was substituted in the 83rd minute. The forward was just one goal away from completing a hat-trick. Many expected him to stay on the field and chase the milestone. But Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus later revealed that the decision was made to protect Ronaldo’s fitness. The coach also praised Ronaldo’s attitude and professionalism during the moment.
Jorge Jesus explains why Cristiano Ronaldo was subbed off
Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus clarified the situation after the match. He explained that Ronaldo had just returned from injury and had missed the previous two matches. Because of this, the coaching staff wanted to be careful with his workload. With Al-Nassr already leading by two goals late in the game, it was the perfect moment to give Ronaldo some rest.Jorge shared that if the match had been closer, Ronaldo would have stayed on the field until the final whistle. But since the result looked safe, they chose to manage his minutes. The coach also highlighted Ronaldo’s team-first mindset. He said that the star forward could have insisted on staying to complete his hat-trick, but instead accepted the decision calmly and focused on what was best for the team.With his statements, Jorge Jesus shut down the recent claims by some fans that Ronaldo has been self-centred on the field. Ronaldo had scored his first goal from the penalty spot before adding another from open play. His sharp movement and finishing showed that he had fully recovered. The forward was later replaced by Hayder Abdulkareem.The Portuguese legend had suffered the injury during a league win over Al-Fayha in February. He even travelled to Madrid to speed up his recovery process. Despite missing international friendlies for Portugal, Ronaldo has now returned to top form.
