Former Celtic winger Jota returned to action for Al-Ittihad this weekend and capped his first outing in over a month with a goal.

The Portugal forward had endured a testing time since making the sensational £25m transfer switch from Parkhead in the summer.

Due to registration rules on foreign players Jota was dropped from the Al-Ittihad squad leaving him only playable in the AFC Champions League and in friendlies.

It means Jota faces spells without any competitive football as he is unable to play for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.

That - combined with an injury blow - has meant Jota hasn't featured in a competitive fixture since a 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal on September 1.

However, Jota was back in action for Al-Itiihad on Sunday in a friendly against Al-Wehda. And he popped up with the winning goal in the contest.

In the 1-0 win, Jota controlled in the box well before reversing a shot into the bottom corner from close range.

He then took plaudits from his team-mates in a muted celebration before Al-Ittihad held out for victory.

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The strike left fans questioning why he hasn't been a key part of the team since his move and instead left ineligible for the league.

One wrote: "You deprived us of his touches in the league"

And another commented: "Sufficient for those who kept you away"