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via Getty

via Getty

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the star face of Al Nassr for quite a few months. Having taken the club to unimaginable heights, the soccer veteran is much loved and respected among all the supporters. So, it wasn’t a surprise when Luis Castro faced heavy backlash after plans of him resting the player became public. However, the head coach argued that it was purely in favor of the soccer icon while fuming at the reporters for interfering and challenging his decisions.

It’s not only Cristiano Ronaldo who has been benched for the upcoming fixture. A total of five players will be left out of the first team squad as Al Nassr cites fitness issues to be the reason behind it.

An irritated Luis Castro loses his cool over the decision to rest Ronaldo

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Facing the same question again and again can be a handful for anyone. Luis Castro had enough when he was constantly questioned about his selection priorities after revealing his plans to bench Cristiano Ronaldo. A fuming Castro gave a befitting reply to the media personnel.

He said, “It’s not the first game Cristiano hasn’t played. After a series of games, from time to time Cristiano can’t return to the game because of the recovery he has to do. I understand that people like to see Cristiano, but the Al Nassr isn’t just Cristiano.”

Visibly angry and pointing fingers at the media he added, “It wasn’t Luís Castro who decided that the player wouldn’t play, he’s not fit enough to play.” Luis Castro has earlier pointed out that Cristiano Ronaldo has played around 210 minutes in the last few days, given his age he needs to be rested.

However, it’s not just Cristiano Ronaldo who would not be making the trip to Qatar. Five other prominent players will be given rest, leading the group, Al Nassr plans to take it easy in their next AFC CL fixture.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only big name to be dropped

Cristiano Ronaldo will be missing the next match against Al Duhail, despite a stellar performance in the game against Al Khaleej. However, the Portuguese soccer legend isn’t the only high-profile player resting, with Aymeric Laporte, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nawaf Boushal, Raghed Al-Najjar, and Abdulaziz Al-Eliwa also taking a break to prevent potential injuries.

Read More – Al Duhail Boss Christopher Galtier Regrets ‘Decisive’ Cristiano Ronaldo’s Absence as Phillippe Coutinho Sends Message to Al Nassr

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While it’s known that Ronaldo has been dealing with a minor ankle issue, this has led to his absence from the upcoming matches. His history of injuries, includes a knee injury in August during the Arab Champions League and foot pain during the Euro qualifiers against Bosnia & Herzegovina. The primary factor behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s benching, however, is his fatigue. CR7 is one of the most essential players in Luis Castro’s squad and they can’t afford to lose him to injury for long.

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