Saudi reports have confirmed the reason why Sadio Mane was dropped to the bench against Al-Akhdoud on Friday.
Al-Nassr managed to put pressure on rivals Al-Hilal after defeating Al-Akhdoud 3-0 on Friday to temporarily close the gap in the Saudi Pro League table.
Sami Al-Najei opened the scoring early in the game before Cristiano Ronaldo netted a late double to secure all three points for Al-Nassr.
The game saw marquee summer acquisition Sadio Mane surprisingly lose his place in the starting lineup to Abdulrahman Ghareeb on the left-hand side.
The decision raised a few eyebrows and was questioned by many, especially after head coach Luis Castro decided to keep Mane on the bench for the full 90 minutes.
It has now been revealed that Castro made a precautionary move to ensure that the Senegalese winger is available for their clash against Al-Hilal next week.
Mane is currently on three yellow cards and a fourth would’ve seen him miss the Saudi El Clasico according to Okaz, which is why the 31-year-old received no game time in their win over Al-Akhdoud.
However, he will be available for selection in Al-Nassr’s midweek clash against Iran’s Persepolis in the AFC Champions League group stages.
Having already qualified for the knockout stages, the Riyadh giants will look to secure Group E’s top spot as they currently lead with 12 points.