Will Ronaldo miss a third match with Al-Nassr? | Goal.com
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return to action for Al-Nassr. The Portugal captain has made the squad for Friday evening's clash against Al-Riyadh in the second round of the Roshn Pro League, his first possible appearance since sitting out the opening round and the King's Cup of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Al-Nassr travel to Al-Riyadh chasing a perfect start after their emphatic three-goal win over Al-Fateh. The hosts, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a first-round defeat.
According to Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah", Al-Nassr's Australian coach Ange Postecoglou has called up 21 players. France's Mohamed Simakan and Portugal's Samu Costa both miss out, rested by the technical staff as part of a rotation policy amid a run of back-to-back fixtures.
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One player will have to drop out of the final squad before kick-off to meet the maximum allowed on the matchday sheet. The likeliest to make way are Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, Saad Haqawi and Rakan Al-Ghamdi.
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Between the posts, Al-Nassr have Brazil's Bento Matheus and Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, with defenders Nawaf Boushal, Salem Al-Najdi, Awad Aman, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Inigo Martinez and Nader Al-Sharari.
In midfield, Postecoglou called up Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sami Al-Najei, Ali Al-Hassan, Abdulmalik Al-Jaber and Angelo Gabriel. Up front he has Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Rakan Al-Ghamdi and Saad Haqawi.
Ronaldo returns at a crucial moment. Al-Nassr have started the season in style, thrashing Al-Fateh three goals to nil in the first round of the Roshn League before beating Al-Diriyah 4-1 in the King's Cup to reach the round of 16.
His presence hands Postecoglou an extra attacking option against Al-Riyadh, alongside Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane. The shape of Al-Nassr's front line is now the big talking point, and the Portuguese captain's return stands out as one of the headlines of the match.
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