Al Nassr hasn’t taken much of a hit without Cristiano Ronaldo, but they’ve missed him terribly. Ronaldo has been indispensable for the Saudi Pro League team ever since he arrived there last year. He has been scoring goals for fun there, and he even led them to a trophy.
The striker was recently injured which caused the club some problems as their tour in China had to be cancelled, and for which Ronaldo even apologized. He even missed the highly anticipated clash with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, disappointing many fans. With positive news about Ronaldo’s comeback, things are about to change soon.
Luis Castro confirms Cristiano Ronaldo will play vs Al Hilal
Cristiano Ronaldo has been injured for a long time, last appearing in a 4-1 win over Al Taawoun on December 30. He had been resting due to a muscle injury, and the manager Luis Castro did not want to worsen it by playing Ronaldo in the friendly games. This is largely due to the fact that they are gearing up for the final part of the season and can’t have Ronaldo miss any games.
Unfortunately, this saw him miss the game against Inter Miami, which his team won 6-0. Many fans had wanted to see him face off against Lionel Messi once more, with the Argentine also playing only 10 minutes. And the decision to rest Ronaldo has paid off in the long run, as Castro has provided some positive updates.
The manager confirmed that Ronaldo will be back in the squad again, saying, “Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to face Al Hilal tomorrow.” He will be in the squad to face off against Al Hilal in the club’s final friendly game. This is also a positive update, as the team will return to official competitions on February 14, when they face Al Feiha in the AFC Champions League Round of 16.
Al Nassr vs Al Hilal: Date, time, and Predicted XI
The Riyadh Season Cup was a friendly trophy created between Al Hilal, Al Nassr, and Inter Miami. Now both Al Hilal and Al Nassr will face off in the final game, in a blockbuster derby game.
There has been a small improvement in Al Nassr’s lineup, with David Ospina as the goalkeeper, Nawaf Boushal, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Aymeric Laporte, and Alex Telles forming the defensive line. Al Sulaiheem, Marcelo Brozović, and Otavio will be the midfielders. The strikeforce will consist of Cristiano Ronaldo, Talisca, and Al Aliwa.
Al Hilal will field Yassine Bounou as their goalkeeper, while Al Burayk, Al Dawsari, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Al Shahrani will be the four defenders in front of him.
Ruben Neves and Sergej Milinković-Savić will be holding the midfield, while Michael, Malcom, and Al-Qahtani will be in front of them. Aleksandar Mitrovic will be the striker.
The game will take place tomorrow at 3 p.m. local time. Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely want to make his return worthwhile with a big win.