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Ronaldo can return to the national team if he wishes, says coach Jorge Jesus

Cristiano Ronaldo jorge jesus Portuguese national team

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Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said Cristiano Ronaldo can return to the national team if he wishes, despite coming out of retirement after being left out of the starting line-up for the match against Denmark, following the win against Norway without him.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, a forty-one-year-old Al-Nassr striker, was left out of Portugal's starting line-up for the match against Denmark after having already missed the match against Norway, which Portugal won without him.

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"Cristiano Ronaldo can return to the team if he wishes", despite having abandoned the national team camp. This was declared by the technical commissioner Jorge Jesus.

Jesus said Ronaldo can rejoin the group "if he wants" after the team beat Norway, without the striker in the squad, to reach the Nations League quarter-finals.

The controversy arose last week when Jesus left 41-year-old Ronaldo on the bench during Portugal's first win against Norway. Subsequently, on Wednesday, Ronaldo came out of retirement after learning that he would not start the match against Denmark.

"As far as I'm concerned, Cris, for the next call-up - if he plays for Al-Nassr - he will be a callable player," said Jesus referring to Ronaldo's Saudi club. "If he wants, he will return to the national team."

The coach added that, should Ronaldo wish to speak to him before Portugal's next matches in November, a discussion is always possible. "If you want, as we did before this call-up, we talked, and we can talk even before the next one. But - he specifies - Cris will decide." (ANSA-AFP).