The real Jota reason why Celtic hero has been ditched revealed as Nuno the Ittihad fall guy no longer

Misfit Jota has reportedly been excluded from Al-Ittihad's Pro League squad following his mega-money move from Celtic - sparking a behind the scenes row at the Saudi champions.

The Portuguese signed for the Tigers for £25m deal in July as he left the Scottish Premiership champions, but the 24-year-old has faced a nightmare in the Middle East after immediately being placed on the fringes of the squad by boss Nuno Espirito Santo. There has been an influx of foreign talent to the Ittihad squad with Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Fabinho among the big name recruits.

However, Saudi Pro League rules only allow eight foreign players to be named in each squad - and reports suggest the winger is the odd man out and will only be available in cup competitions. After Luiz Felipe's arrival from Real Betis, Jota looks to have been forced out and will now only feature in AFC Champions League and the Club World Cup unless he can find an exit route to a league that still has their transfer window open - such as the UAE Pro League.

But the call to leave Jota out of the squad has reportedly sparked a split between the club management and boss Nuno. It has been claimed that the former Wolves and Tottenham boss was keen to keep the player in the squad - and would dropped first choice goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe to reach the quota.

However, the Ittihad powerbrokers stepped into overrule the decision with Ittihad insider Salem Al-Ahmadi telling Saudi outlet Bara 18 that there has been a "dispute" between the club and their manager over excluding the Celtic Treble winner. He said: "The delay in issuing the decision regarding the ninth foreigner excluded from Ittihad was because there is a dispute between the administration and the coach.