Al Nassr will be taking on Esteghlal FC in Tehran in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Round of 16 match on Monday, March 3. However, they will be without their ace player Cristiano Ronaldo who has been left out of the squad.
As per reports from the media, there may be two concerns for leaving Ronaldo out of the squad – a minor injury and security concerns as the match is set to be held at the Azadi Sports Complex. This makes it more difficult for Al Nassr to win the match.
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Ronaldo has been in excellent form for Al Nassr this season. He has scored 25 goals in all competitions but he will be sitting out this crucial encounter. The club recently posted their squad for the match on social media. Ronaldo’s name was missing from the list which confirmed his absence for the match.
Later, head coach Stefano Pioli addressed the matter during a press conference. “He had a physical problem,” Pioli said, “I wouldn’t say it was 100% a big problem, but we preferred him not to be in the game.”
The 40-year-old star played the full 90 minutes in their last Saudi Pro League outing which Al Nassr lost 2-1 to Al-Orobah. However, it seems that there is a minor fitness concern that led the club to rest him in this match.
Beyond the injury concerns, some reports also say that Ronaldo’s absence could be linked to security issues regarding their trip to Tehran. The last time the Al Nassr played in Iran was back in September 2023, and chaotic scenes ensued that time.
Thousands of fans stormed the team hotel that time all in hopes to meet Ronaldo. In the end, the match had to be played behind closed doors after a ban was imposed on the home supporters. However, even so, the overwhelming fan presence led to police intervention.
Keeping the incident in mind, reportedly, Al Nassr requested the AFC to relocate the match to a neutral venue. However, the request was reportedly denied which is probably why the rest of the squad — including Marcelo Brozovic, Jhon Duran, and Sadio Mane — flew to Iran, Ronaldo stayed behind, possibly as a precaution.
Ronaldo is the third-highest goal-scorer in the AFC Champions League this season with six goals. His absence will be a significant blow for Al Nassr. They finished third in Group B and will now have to rely on their other attacking options.
However, their attacking lineup has not exactly been reliable in the last few matches, so securing a first-leg advantage will be difficult for Al Nassr. The return leg is scheduled for March 10, and Ronaldo’s availability to play in front of his home crowd in Riyadh will become important.
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