Cristiano Ronaldo is in contention to return for Al Nassr against Riyadh on Friday after being included in Ange Postecoglou’s 21-man squad for the second round of the Roshn Saudi League.
The match could mark the Portugal captain’s first appearance of the season after he missed Al Nassr’s opening league fixture and their King’s Cup tie. His inclusion provides a major boost for Postecoglou as his side look to maintain their strong start to the campaign.
Al Nassr travel to Riyadh seeking a second successive league victory after beginning the season with a 3-0 win against Al Fateh. The hosts, meanwhile, will be aiming to respond after losing their opening match of the competition.
According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, Postecoglou has selected 21 players for the fixture but has left out Mohammed Simakan and Samo Costa. The pair have been rested as part of the coaching staff’s rotation policy, with the squad facing a demanding run of consecutive matches.
Al Nassr must remove one player from the final matchday squad before kick-off to comply with the permitted limit. Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, Saad Haqawi and Rakan Al-Ghamdi are considered the likely candidates to miss out.
The squad includes goalkeepers Bento Matheus and Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi. The defensive options are Nawaf Boushal, Salem Al-Najdi, Awad Aman, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Inigo Martinez and Nader Al-Sharari.
In midfield, Postecoglou has selected Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sami Al-Naji, Ali Al-Hassan, Abdulmalik Al-Jaber and Angelo Gabriel.
The attacking group features Ronaldo alongside Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Rakan Al-Ghamdi and Saad Haqawi.
Ronaldo’s possible return comes after Al Nassr followed their opening-day league success by progressing in the King’s Cup. They defeated Al-Diriyah 4-1 to reach the last 16 of the competition.
His availability would give Postecoglou another attacking option for the meeting with Riyadh, with Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane already among the forward choices. The presence of Ronaldo is therefore expected to attract significant attention as Al Nassr attempt to build on their early-season momentum.
The captain’s return would also offer an indication of how Postecoglou intends to shape his forward line during the club’s second league outing. While Ronaldo’s inclusion does not guarantee that he will start, it raises the prospect of him playing a part in a match Al Nassr will enter as favourites after their emphatic opening victory.