Why Ronaldo Will Miss Al Nassr's AFC Next Champions League Tie With Al Duhail

• Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League game against Al Duhail
• The veteran forward bagged a brace when the two sides met in Riyadh a fortnight ago
• In his absence, Sadio Mane, Otavio, and Anderson Talisca will be expected to step up

Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent from Al-Nassr's upcoming AFC Champions League encounter against Al Duhail tonight (November 7), at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

The 38-year-old has played a pivotal role in his side's run of form both in domestic and continental competitions, netting a total of 15 goals in 16 matches across the various tournaments.

Ronaldo's influential performances have contributed to Al-Nassr's 16-game undefeated streak.

The Knights of Najd will aim to secure another victory over the Qatari champions, whom they narrowly defeated in a thrilling match two weeks ago. However, the Portuguese star will not be present for the reverse tie.

Ronaldo scores 2 golazos in Al-Nassr vs Al-Duhail AFC Champions League match: Video

Football

Al-Nassr currently leads Group E with nine points from three games, per Sofascore, and will hope to enhance their chances of reaching the AFC Champions League knockout stage even without their superstar.

Coach, Luis Castro explained that Ronaldo's absence from the squad was a strategic decision made to ensure he gets some well-deserved rest before returning to action.

"He's absent due to fatigue," the Portuguese coach said, as cited by TimelineCR7. "A few days ago, he played a match that went into extra time and 48 hours ago, he played an important league match."

In the absence of their leading marksman, Castro will rely on summer signings, Sadio Mane and Otavio while also banking his hopes on Brazilian forward, Anderson Talisca to impress again.

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Cristiano Ronaldo receives rave reviews after show-stopping display for Al Nassr

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Ronaldo chalks 400 goal mark post-30

In his last outing for Al-Nassr, Sports Brief reported on Ronaldo achieving another goal-scoring feat with his strike during the 2-0 victory against Al Khaleej on November 4.

The veteran's 26th-minute strike not only bolstered his remarkable season statistics but also marked an astonishing milestone of 400 goals scored after turning 30 years old.