Al-Nassr Rest Cristiano Ronaldo for AFC Champions League Match
Ronaldo Rested for Al-Nassr Amid Regional Security Concerns
Cristiano Ronaldo has been left off Al-Nassr’s roster for their upcoming AFC Champions League match against Pakhtakor in Tashkent, as head coach Ange Postecoglou rotates his squad amid mounting regional security issues impacting Asian soccer competitions.
Postecoglou Rests Key Players Due to Travel Pressure
Postecoglou explained at a press conference in Uzbekistan that he decided to rest Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman, and Mohamed Simakan given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved,
according to the article. Ronaldo recently scored a hat trick in the Saudi Pro League, bringing his career tally to 985 goals. Despite a slow start that leaves Al-Nassr ninth in the western zone group and the lowest-ranked among Saudi Arabia’s five tournament representatives, Postecoglou expressed confidence in the team’s trajectory.
Security Threats Cause Match Delays and Tournament Concerns
Al-Nassr’s continental campaign has faced repeated interruptions. A previous Champions League fixture was postponed after Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates declined to travel to Riyadh. An October 12 home match suffered a one-hour delay following reports of missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. These security complications have raised broader questions regarding the Asian Cup, scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia on January 7.
Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto voiced reservations about hosting the tournament under current conditions, stating at an AFC Congress that the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don’t think it would be easy to hold the Cup there.
In contrast, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa indicated that officials can monitor developments through the end of November, noting that the tournament could be postponed to 2028 if necessary. Meanwhile, Saudi organizers maintain that tournament preparations proceed on schedule.
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