There is a doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo will make his debut for the new shirt Saudi Professional League The new season as Al-Nasr aims to continue its strong start under Ange Postecoglou in Riyadh on Friday.
Al-Nassr started the Postecoglou era well, as the defending champions recorded a 4-1 win in the round of 32 of the King’s Cup over Diriyah before then beating Al-Fateh 3-0 in their league opener.
Ronaldo missed both of those matches, and while it is hoped he can return against their neighbours, a pelvic muscle injury could keep the Portugal legend on the sidelines.
The 41-year-old trained away from the rest of the team on Wednesday as he recovers from that injury, after feeling pain while training with the team last week.
It is reported that the decision on his availability will be made by the medical staff after Thursday’s training session.
With or without Ronaldo, Al-Nasr will be strong favorites to get the three points.
Riyadh Club narrowly avoided relegation last season, surviving by only one point. The team opened its campaign with a 4-2 defeat against Al-Ettifaq, but recovered by defeating Al-Zulfi 2-0 in the King’s Cup.
Their record against Al-Nasr is appalling. They have not avoided defeat against the champions since a 2-2 draw in May 2024. Al-Nassr completed a league double over Al-Riyadh last season, winning 5-1 at home and 1-0 away.
Riyadh v Al-Nasr team news
While Ronaldo’s fitness remains in doubt, Mohamed Meran (hamstring) and Saad Nacer (ankle) will be sidelined, with the former expected to be unavailable for around six weeks.
