Cristiano Ronaldo to miss Al Nassr's AFC Champions League clash as Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahli face big tests
Al Nassr will be without star man Cristiano Ronaldo for their AFC Champions League clash against Pakhtakor on Monday after the Portugal striker was rested for the trip to Uzbekistan. Ronaldo , 41, was conspicuous by his absence when the Al Nassr squad touched down in Tashkent on Saturday, and it has since emerged that he, along with Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan, had been left at home by…
Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al Nassr's upcoming AFC Champions League match against Pakhtakor due to not being included in the team's travel to Uzbekistan. The Portugal striker, 41, was left behind by coach Ange Postecoglou, who has been cautious with his players' workload. Joao Felix and Sadio Mane will lead the attack in Ronaldo's absence.
Ronaldo recently scored a hat-trick in a 5-3 win over Al Kholood, bringing his career tally to 985 goals. Al Nassr, who recently suffered a 4-0 defeat to Al Ain, will return to Saudi Pro League action against Al Hazem on Thursday. Pakhtakor, currently bottom of the table, hope to break their scoring drought with a goal from Iraq striker Aymen Hussein.
Al Ain, leading the table with a perfect record, will play against Jeddah-based Al Ittihad on Monday. The UAE clubs have dominated Asian competition, with both Al Ain and Shabab Al Ahli securing three wins each. Al Ain will be without key attacker Soufiane Rahimi due to a hamstring injury. Shabab Al Ahli, coached by Andre Jardine, will face a significant challenge when they travel to Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal on Tuesday.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
