Jorge Jesus tells Cristiano Ronaldo what he must do to rejoin Portugal squad

Cristiano Ronaldo can return to the Portugal squad if he wants to (Picture: Getty Images) Portugal manager Jorge Jesus says it is entirely up to Cristiano Ronaldo if he wants to play for the national team again, after the striker left the squad midway through the current international break.

The 41-year-old started the first of Portugal’s four games over the last two weeks as they beat Wales in Lisbon, but then was an unused substitute in a win over Norway in Oslo.

The Al-Nassr forward was told he would not start the next game against Denmark and left the Portugal.

Jesus’ team has won all four matches during the international break, including a second victory over Norway on Sunday night, but the manager says Ronaldo is welcome to come back if he wants to.

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The 72-year-old has made it clear that Ronaldo will not play all the time, but says he needs him whether he is in the team or not.

‘If he wants to, he’ll return to the national team,’ said the veteran manager of his superstar striker.

‘We can talk before the next call-up, but Cris is the one who’s going to decide.

‘Cristiano should end his time in the national team the way he wants, he’s the one who will decide how he wants it.

‘In my first call-up, I said, “I need you, I need you to be close to me, playing or not playing, I need you”. And now I’m saying the same thing.’

After leaving the Portugal camp last week, Ronaldo suggested that he would reveal ‘the truth’ behind his exit at a later date.

‘After the national team coach’s press conference, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I have decided to leave the national team training camp,’ Ronaldo wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.

‘In due time, I will tell all Portuguese people the truth about the reasons that led to my departure from the national team, to which I have always dedicated myself.

‘Now is the time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates.’

Ronaldo was believed to be annoyed that he was asked to warm up during the Denmark game, but remained an unused substitute.

It was the first time since 2008 that he started a competitive match for Portugal on the bench and was not brought on.

Jesus explained that he had already agreed with Ronaldo that the striker would not play against Norway or Denmark, but frustrated him by then suggesting he might come on against the Norwegians.

‘It’s true that I agreed with him, we developed a plan like with Bruno Fernandes, and I told Cris that he wouldn’t play in either the match against Norway or the one against Denmark, because I’ve worked with Cris for a year,’ the former Al-Nassr boss said. ‘I didn’t just arrive in the national team three months ago to get to know Cris. I know Cris’s physical capabilities perfectly well.

‘I’m not the kind of coach who, as soon as I sit on the bench, is already thinking about the 60th minute and the substitution I’m going to make. I had agreed with him that he wouldn’t play the first two matches, but I thought during the match that I might need him in the final minutes. But the match dictated something else, and I didn’t bring him on. That’s the truth. During the match, I thought that I might need him and that he would warm up, and then I didn’t bring him on.

‘No player is happy when they warm up for 20 or 30 minutes and then don’t get played. Nobody’s happy. Least of all Cris. I wasn’t going to bring him on, but I said before the match, “Cris, if I need you, you’ll play 20 or 30 minutes,” and he said, “Okay.” Once he was on the pitch, I asked him to warm up in the 45th minute; I didn’t know what I was going to do.

‘That’s where I made a mistake; I should have had him warm up about 15 minutes later. I didn’t know what was going to happen, I started watching the game, and I didn’t bring him on.’

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