Al-Nassr’s bid to win silverware in the 2023-24 season suffered heavy dents on Monday (Mar 4) after they suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the AFC Champions League. The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side who currently trail by nine points in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) will now be without Brazilian attacker Anderson Talisca. It is reported that Talisca will miss the rest of the season which will be a blow for the Riyadh-based outfit.
Talisca’s injury blow for Al-Nassr
Having travelled to UAE for their AFC Champions League contest, Talisca complained of muscle pull and missed training on Sunday. The injury later revealed to be a tear in the anterior muscle forced him to miss the AFC Champions League match. However, on Tuesday it was confirmed the Brazilian’s injury was a serious one and will not return to action for the rest of the campaign.
The campaign has been one of the best in the 30-year-old’s career with him bagging 25 goals in 25 matches which are coupled with four assists. His absence will be a major setback for the side with him being one of the most consistent players in the club’s recent history, dating before the arrival of Ronaldo.
Last Thursday, the Brazilian bagged a hat-trick in Al-Nassr’s 4-4 draw against Al-Hazm where he was seen in sensational form. His partnership with Ronaldo is one of the features of the SPL season so far, but as things stand, they will only feature together in the next campaign which will start in August. While the time length of the injury is still not revealed, it is expected that Talisca will miss at least four months of action.
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Brazil’s national team will hardly be affected by Talisca’s unavailability as he has never been in the frame to make the national side. At 30, he is yet to make his debut for the national side and with Copa America taking place in June and July, the national side will anyways have to rely on other talents.
What would Talisca’s absence mean for Al-Nassr?
As things stand, Al-Nassr have a capable deputy in the form of Sadio Mane, who has been a blockbuster replacement for the injured winger. However, with squad depth being an important factor, Al-Nassr will not have much margin for error for the rest of the campaign. They will first have to overturn a 1-0 deposit in the Champions League while hoping for Al-Hilal to drop points in the SPL season.
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