Cristiano Ronaldo Al Nassr absence will headline Monday’s AFC Champions League encounter against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor after coach Ange Postecoglou left the Portuguese forward out of the travelling squad, citing the demanding fixture schedule and extensive travel commitments.
The decision comes amid growing concerns about security in Saudi Arabia, where recent incidents involving missile attacks have disrupted football activities and raised questions about the country’s ability to host major continental competitions.
Ronaldo will miss the trip to Tashkent alongside Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan, with Postecoglou choosing to protect three important members of his squad from further physical demands.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager explained that the players needed a break after a congested period of matches and travelling.
Speaking at a news conference in Uzbekistan, Postecoglou said the decision was taken “given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved.”
Ronaldo goes into the break after another outstanding individual performance, having scored three goals in Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League fixture last week.
That hat-trick increased his career tally for club and country to 985 goals, leaving him just 15 away from the historic 1,000-goal milestone he has repeatedly targeted.
Postecoglou faces challenge without Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nassr will have to find another source of attacking inspiration against Pakhtakor as they attempt to improve their disappointing position in the AFC Champions League.
The Saudi side are currently ninth in the western section of the competition, making them the lowest-ranked among the five representatives from their domestic league.
The tournament features 32 clubs divided into eastern and western groups, with only the top eight from each section qualifying for the knockout stage.
Their position leaves little room for further setbacks, particularly as the club continues its pursuit of a first-ever Asian continental title.
Despite the difficult beginning, Postecoglou believes the team’s preparation has improved considerably.
“Despite the difficult start, the preparation conditions, and the lack of complete readiness at the beginning of the season, we have now reached an excellent stage,” he said.
His immediate task is to ensure that the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and the other rested players does not undermine the team’s chances of collecting valuable points.
The Portuguese captain’s goalscoring influence is considerable, but Al Nassr must demonstrate that their attacking options can deliver when their biggest star is unavailable.
Previous postponement adds to Al Nassr’s disrupted schedule
Monday’s fixture follows another interruption to Al Nassr’s continental campaign after Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates declined to travel to Riyadh for their scheduled encounter last week.
The Asian Football Confederation subsequently postponed the match, giving Ronaldo another period away from competitive action.
Al Nassr had also experienced a delay during their previous home fixture in the tournament on October 12.
That match was held up for an hour following reports of missile attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The incidents have intensified concerns about the security environment surrounding football events in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the region.
Although Al Nassr are expected to proceed with their trip to Uzbekistan, the broader situation has raised questions about the safety and organisation of upcoming continental competitions.
Asian Cup faces uncertainty over Saudi security situation
The concerns extend beyond club football, with Saudi Arabia scheduled to host the Asian Cup beginning January 7.
The possibility of regional instability affecting the tournament has prompted questions from football officials, including Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto.
Miyamoto expressed reservations about staging the competition in Saudi Arabia while security concerns remain unresolved.
“Based on what I’ve learned from the news, the situation is still unsafe, so at this point, I don’t think it would be easy to hold the [Asian] Cup there,” he said at an AFC Congress last month.
His comments have added to the pressure on the Asian Football Confederation to assess the situation before making a final decision.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, however, said organisers still had time to monitor developments.
“We can wait until the end of November,” Salman said.
He explained that the situation could improve or deteriorate, making it necessary to keep the options open.
“Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region, and it is a question of seeing what happens,” he added.
Salman also acknowledged that postponing the competition until 2028 remained a possibility if circumstances made it necessary.
“If we need to make a decision then we will, but we could move back a year to 2028 if we need to,” he said.
Saudi organisers have maintained that preparations are continuing as planned, with venues and kick-off times for all matches finalised last week.
Al Ahli and Al Hilal pursue continental success
Elsewhere, Al Ahli and Al Hilal are preparing for their own AFC Champions League assignments as Saudi clubs continue their campaigns.
Al Ahli, who have won the previous two Asian titles, occupy third position in their group ahead of an away match against Qatar’s Al Sadd.
The Jeddah-based side will be hoping to recover from a damaging 6-1 home defeat suffered on Friday.
England striker Ivan Toney is expected to be available despite travelling to London last week for a court appearance, where he pleaded not guilty to an assault charge.
Toney has scored 13 league goals this season and remains an important attacking option for the Saudi club.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, have enjoyed impressive domestic form, recording five consecutive Saudi Pro League victories to move to the top of the standings.
England forward Ollie Watkins scored during their latest victory, as the four-time Asian champions maintained their momentum.
They are scheduled to host Shabab Al-Ahli of the United Arab Emirates in their continental fixture.
While these matches appear set to proceed, uncertainty surrounding the wider security situation continues to attract attention from football authorities.
For Al Nassr, the immediate concern is to secure a positive result without Cristiano Ronaldo, while the club and its supporters will also be watching developments that could affect the remainder of the Asian football calendar.
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