Why Cristiano Ronaldo won't be travelling with Al-Nassr for AFC Champions League Elite clash against Al-Shorta?

The striker has suffered illness and will miss the game.

There is a huge setback for the Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr. They have officially said that Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent from the upcoming match against Al-Shorta.

This season’s revamped AFC Champions League format has added new excitement to the competition. It will undoubtedly be a highlight when Al-Shorta take on Al-Nassr in the Elite West group starting on Monday, September 16, 2024. Al-Shorta will want to carry on their winning momentum from the previous season and secure a top-eight spot.

Despite their recent high-profile additions, Luis Castro’s Al-Nassr are under pressure to perform following a sluggish league start. The team is dependent mainly on Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.

As both teams prepare for the challenging yet thrilling game in the AFC Champions League Elite, the stakes are high and the expectations are much higher.

Why Cristiano Ronaldo won’t travel with the rest of the squad to Iraq?

Well, Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent from the upcoming match against Al-Shorta due to a viral infection. This would seriously jeopardise the team’s position. The captain of Al-Nassr, Ronaldo, reportedly felt unwell and was later diagnosed with the ailment, according to the club’s statement.

After the team doctor recommended rest and isolation, Ronaldo made the decision to not travel to Iraq with the team for the match. During this difficult time, the squad expressed their hopes for their leader’s speedy recovery. Al-Nassr stated this on X (Twitter): “AlNassr Captain Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection. Team’s doctor confirmed he needs to rest and stay at his place. As a result he will not be travelling with the team to Iraq today.”

Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic and Aymeric Laporte are among the other players in Al-Nassr’s ranks, who will look to step in Ronaldo’s absence.

In the meantime, Ronaldo and former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag have been exchanging heated words for the past few days.

Ronaldo’s exit from United was mainly due to his fell off with the Dutch manager in 2022 when he criticised the head coach. It led to Ronaldo leaving the club and joining Al-Nassr.

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