Big Blow to Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. As Luis Castro Confirms Absence of Al Nassr Star for 2–3 Weeks

Cristiano Ronaldo roared back to form with a brace to help beat Al Khaleej 4-1. It was against the same team a few days ago that CR7 struggled and was criticized for missing chances. The victory means the Knights of Najd will face league leaders Al Hilal in the King Cup final. But, the Saudi side faces a huge blow as a key name has been added to their already significant injury list!

In his latest presser, Luis Castro revealed the severity of winger Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s injury. The manager said, “Abdul Rahman Ghareeb needs two to three weeks to be able to return and participate in the matches.” The winger suffered a posterior muscle injury due to a blow in the league game against Al Khaleej on April 27.

This meant that he could not participate in yesterday’s clash. There is a possibility that the winger might be unavailable for the rest of the season. Previously, prolific attacker Anderson Talisca also saw his season cut short due to a thigh injury. Regardless, Ghareeb’s absence is a big blow to Al Nassr, particularly Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese superstar has been a longtime admirer of Ghareeb’s talents. In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo had personally messaged the winger after a stunning goal while on international duty. Furthermore, he had even opted against a hat trick by handing Ghareeb a penalty once! It’s safe to say that CR7 is a fan, but what is Ghareeb’s quality that makes him such an endearing teammate?

Well, for starters, the youngster has a searing pace, creating space for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo in the box. Hence, Ghareeb’s absence will make the encounter against Al Hilal harder. But, that’s not the only news emerging from Riyadh.

Luis Castro is set to continue as coach of Cristiano Ronaldo & Co.

Previously, there were question marks on Castro’s future at Al Nassr. The league was out of his grasp and his side was knocked out of the Champions League and Super Cup. It also didn’t help that he managed a team with superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane. However, the latest reports suggest that Castro will continue as the first-team coach. A private source said, “We have no intention of dispensing with Portuguese Castro next season. He will continue with the team and we have not spoken with any coach at all.”

Considering there were links previously with the former Juventus coach, Massimiliano Allegri, this u-turn is surprising. Perhaps, the impressive performance yesterday and qualification to the King Cup final might have helped his cause. What is your view on the decision? Let us know in the comment box below.