Al Nassr announced that their megastar Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to miss the AFC Champions League away trip to Iraq due to illness. The Riyadh-based side is scheduled to face an Iraqi representative Al Shorta on Monday, 16 September 2024.
The club’s coach Luis Castro decided not to include the Portugal captain with the travelling squad. Al Nassr’s squad arrived at Baghdad today and appeared to bring another main player Sadio Mane with them.
Cristiano Ronaldo is staying in Saudi Arabia
Following Ronaldo’s illness, Al Nassr will give him all the time he needs to recover from his illness. “Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection,” the club stated.“ The team’s doctor confirmed he needed to rest and stay at his place.
“As a result, he will not be travelling with the team to Iraq today. We wish a speedy recovery to our captain.”
Since losing to Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup, Al Nassr has not lost a single game, winning one and drawing two of them. Ronaldo’s presence in the team has been crucial as he scored four in five appearances across the competition so far. Thus, missing the Champions League outing is a huge blow for Al Nassr who aims for an away win in Iraq.
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