Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of the Al Nassr squad for their AFC Champions League trip to Uzbekistan as head coach Ange Postecoglou opts to rotate his side. The decision comes amid wider security concerns in the region that continue to disrupt the continental tournament.
Ronaldo will not feature in Al Nassr's AFC Champions League fixture against Pakhtakor on Monday. Head coach Postecoglou decided to rest the legendary forward for the trip to Tashkent.
The Portuguese star is currently in fine form, having scored a hat-trick in the Saudi Pro League last week. Those three strikes took his remarkable career tally to 985 goals for club and country.
However, Postecoglou has prioritised player welfare amid a demanding schedule. Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan have also been omitted from the travelling squad for the crucial continental clash in Uzbekistan.
Al Nassr are desperate to win their first-ever Asian title, but they have endured a difficult start to the campaign. They currently sit ninth in the western zone group and are the lowest-ranked of the five Saudi Arabian representatives.
Speaking at a press conference in Uzbekistan, Postecoglou explained his rotation policy. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss revealed he rested Ronaldo and his team-mates "given the pressure of matches and the amount of travel involved".
Despite their early struggles, the Australian tactician remains confident about their progression. "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," Postecoglou said, as quoted by ESPN.
Al Nassr's schedule has already been severely disrupted by regional security issues. Ronaldo benefited from an unexpected break last week when their Champions League game was postponed because Al-Wasl refused to travel to Riyadh.
Prior to that, Al Nassr's home match on October 12 was delayed following reports of missile attacks by Houthi rebels. These ongoing tensions are now casting serious doubt over the Asian Cup, which is scheduled to kick off in Saudi Arabia on January 7.
Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto recently expressed his reservations about the tournament. "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 Cup there," Miyamoto stated.
While Saudi Arabian organisers insist preparations are continuing on schedule, the Asian Football Confederation is monitoring the situation closely. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa admitted a final decision will be made by the end of November.
He noted that things can change quickly in the region and suggested the tournament could even be pushed back to 2028 if necessary. Meanwhile, other Saudi clubs continue their continental campaigns this week.
