AFC Champions League: Why Cristiano Ronaldo Will Miss Al Nassr vs Pakhtakor Clash
- Al Nassr coach Ange Postecoglou left Ronaldo out of the squad for Monday's AFC Champions League trip to Tashkent
- Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Al Nassr's 5-3 Saudi Pro League win last week, bringing his career goal tally to 985
- Al Nassr sit ninth in the western zone standings, outside the top eight places needed to reach the knockout rounds
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Cristiano Ronaldo will not travel with Al Nassr for their AFC Champions League fixture against Pakhtakor in Tashkent on Monday, November 2, after head coach Ange Postecoglou chose to rest the Portuguese forward ahead of the away trip to Uzbekistan.
Postecoglou told a news conference in Uzbekistan that he had held back Ronaldo alongside teammates Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan, citing the toll of a packed fixture schedule and the heavy travel demands that come with this stage of the competition.
Source: Getty Images
"Given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved," the coach said, explaining the trio's omission from the travelling squad.
Ronaldo's form before the enforced break
The rest comes on the back of one of Ronaldo's standout moments of the season.
According to data from Transfermarkt, the 40-year-old scored three goals as Al Nassr came from behind to beat Al Kholood 5-3 in the Saudi Pro League, a performance that lifted his combined club and international career tally to 985 goals.
He now needs 15 more to reach the 1,000-goal landmark he has openly set as a personal target.
Monday's match against Pakhtakor will mark the second straight AFC Champions League game Ronaldo has sat out, ESPN reports.
The previous fixture, scheduled against Al Wasl of the United Arab Emirates, was postponed after the UAE club declined to travel to Riyadh.
Separately, Al Nassr's home match on October 12 was delayed by one hour following reports of missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, adding to the disruption the Saudi club has faced during the continental campaign.
What is at stake for Al Nassr
Al Nassr's continental standing, however, leaves little room for complacency.
The club currently occupies ninth place in the western zone of the 32-team tournament, which is divided into two groups of 16 sides.
Only the top eight teams in each zone advance to the knockout rounds, meaning Al Nassr need points urgently if they are to stay in contention.
The ambition to win a first Asian continental title remains central to Al Nassr's objectives this season, giving the Pakhtakor match added significance despite Ronaldo's absence.
Postecoglou will need to make effective use of his available options to secure a result that closes the gap on the qualification places.
Elsewhere in the competition, Al Ahli, the winner of the past two AFC Champions League titles, sits third in its group ahead of a trip to Qatar to face Al Sadd.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, have moved to the top of the Saudi Pro League after a fifth successive league win, with Ollie Watkins among the scorers in their latest outing.
Al Nassr star criticised for not passing to Ronaldo
In another development, Legit.ng reported about Kingsley Coman’s decision to shoot instead of passing to Ronaldo during Al-Nassr’s 3-0 win over Al-Diriyah, and former player Fahd Al-Hraifi’s reaction.
Ronaldo scored in the match and is closing in on a historic milestone: 1,000 career goals.
Source: Legit.ng
