Saudi Pro League1 hour ago2 minute read

Ronaldo Rested for Al Nassr Asian Champions League Clash

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al Nassr's trip to Uzbekistan as manager Ange Postecoglou rests key players amid security concerns.

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Ronaldo Sits Out Trip to Tashkent

Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Al Nassr's AFC Champions League match against Pakhtakor in Tashkent on Monday. Head coach Ange Postecoglou decided to leave the star forward off the roster for the fixture.

Ronaldo scored a hat trick in the Saudi Pro League last week. That performance brought his career total for club and country to 985 goals as he continues his attempt to reach 1,000 goals.

Postecoglou also left Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan out of the squad. The former Tottenham Hotspur and Australia manager explained that he rested the players given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved. Al Nassr sits ninth in the western zone group, making them the lowest ranked of the five Saudi teams in the 32 team tournament.

Regional Concerns and Security Delays

Security issues have recently impacted matches involving Saudi teams. Last week, UAE club Al-Wasl chose not to travel to Riyadh, causing their match against Al Nassr to be postponed. Earlier in the tournament on Oct. 12, an Al Nassr home match was delayed by an hour following reports of missile attacks by Yemen's Iran backed Houthi rebels.

Uncertainty also surrounds the Asian Cup, scheduled to start in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 7. Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, president of the Japan Football Association, stated that he does not think holding the tournament there will be easy right now.

AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa noted that officials can wait until the end of November to make a call. He added that the tournament could be moved back to 2028 if necessary, though Saudi organizers report that preparations remain on schedule.

Other Saudi Clubs in Action

Elsewhere in the competition, Al Ahli travels to Qatar to face Al Sadd. The two time defending champions are third in their group after suffering a 6-1 home loss on Friday. Striker Ivan Toney is expected to play, having scored 13 league goals this season after returning from a court appearance in London.

Al Hilal sits top of the Saudi Pro League after five straight wins. England forward Ollie Watkins scored in their latest victory. The four time Asian champions host Shabab Al-Ahli of the United Arab Emirates.

What it means for the next game

Al Hazem vs Al Nassr (Saudi Pro League, Fri, 06 Nov): Al Hazem win 11%, draw 15%, Al Nassr win 75%; expected goals 1.09 to 2.95. Our safest pick: Over 2.5 goals.