Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League match against Pakhtakor in Uzbekistan as the Saudi Arabian club looks to manage its players’ workload amid a busy schedule and travel demands. The Portuguese superstar has been left out of the squad by coach Ange Postecoglou for Monday’s match in Tashkent. Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan have also been rested.Ronaldo was in fine form last week, scoring a hat-trick in a Saudi Pro League match to take his career goal tally to 985. However, he will not be part of Al-Nassr’s squad for the continental fixture.Postecoglou, who previously coached Tottenham Hotspur and Australia, explained the decision at a news conference in Uzbekistan.He said Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan had been rested “given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved.”
Al-Nassr looking to improve Champions League position
Al-Nassr are chasing their first-ever Asian title but have struggled in the competition so far. They are currently ninth in the western zone standings, making them the lowest-ranked among the five Saudi Arabian clubs taking part in the 32-team tournament.The competition is divided into two groups of 16 teams, with the eastern and western zones having separate standings. The top eight teams from each zone will qualify for the knockout stage.Despite the slow start, Postecoglou believes his team are making progress.“Despite the difficult start, the preparation conditions, and the lack of complete readiness at the beginning of the season, we have now reached an excellent stage,” Postecoglou added.
Security concerns affect Asian competitions
Ronaldo also missed Al-Nassr’s previous Champions League fixture last week after UAE club Al-Wasl refused to travel to Riyadh for the match. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) subsequently postponed the game.Security concerns have also affected Al-Nassr’s home fixtures. Their previous home match in the competition on October 12 was delayed by an hour following reports of missile attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.The situation has raised concerns about the future of other Asian football competitions, including the Asian Cup scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia on January 7.The Houthis have launched several attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding to concerns about the security situation in the region.
Japan raise doubts over Asian Cup
Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has expressed doubts about whether the Asian Cup can go ahead in Saudi Arabia as planned.“Based on what I’ve learned from the news, the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don’t think it would be easy to hold the (Asian) Cup there,” Miyamoto said at an AFC Congress last month.His comments came after AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said the organisation would continue to monitor the situation before making a final decision.“We can wait until the end of November,” Salman said. “Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens.“If we need to make a decision then we will, but we could move back a year to 2028 if we need to.”Saudi organisers, however, have maintained that preparations are continuing as planned. The kick-off times and venues for all matches were finalised last week.
Other Saudi clubs in Champions League action
Meanwhile, Al-Ahli, who have won the last two Asian titles, are third in their group ahead of their away match against Qatar’s Al-Sadd.The Jeddah-based club suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat at home on Friday but are expected to have England striker Ivan Toney available for the next match.Toney, who has scored 13 league goals this season, travelled to London last week to attend court, where he pleaded not guilty to an assault charge.Elsewhere, Al-Hilal continued their winning run in the Saudi Pro League. England forward Ollie Watkins scored as the Riyadh-based club registered their fifth consecutive league victory to move to the top of the standings.The four-time Asian champions will host UAE side Shabab Al-Ahli in their next continental fixture. While that match is expected to go ahead, concerns remain over the security situation and its possible impact on the Asian Cup.