Saudi Arabia — Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent from Al Nassr’s highly anticipated AFC Asian Champions League opener against Iraq’s Al-Shorta on Monday, September 16, 2024, due to a viral infection. The news was confirmed by Al Nassr following Ronaldo’s diagnosis over the weekend.
Ronaldo, who recently surpassed the 900-goal milestone in his illustrious career, is currently sidelined with health issues. The Portuguese star’s absence comes at a critical time for Al Nassr, who are struggling to gain momentum in the league under the management of Luis Castro. The team, bolstered by recent high-profile signings including Sadio Mane, has been heavily reliant on Ronaldo’s contributions.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, Al Nassr announced, “Our captain Cristiano Ronaldo has not been feeling well and has been diagnosed with a viral infection. The team’s doctor has advised that he needs rest and will not travel with the squad to Iraq. We wish him a swift recovery.”
“Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo was not feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection,” said a club statement posted on social media platform X on Sunday.
“The team’s doctor confirmed he needs to rest and stay at home. As a result, he will not be travelling with the team to Iraq today. We wish our captain a speedy recovery.”
Despite his recent achievement of scoring 902 career goals, Ronaldo’s performance during the Euro Cup 2024 was underwhelming, as he failed to score throughout the tournament. Nevertheless, Ronaldo remains determined to reach the 1,000-goal milestone in his career.
Al Nassr will need to rally without their star player as they kick off their Asian Champions League campaign, aiming to secure a strong start in the tournament.
