Every flaw can be counted as a chance for Al-Nassr against Al Hilal. Jorge Jesus‘ team has been nearly perfect this season and won almost everything at their disposal. However, the club has appeared vulnerable in one area, especially with a few important players’ availability. And now it seems like the problem has arrived again for the Blue Wave as they will miss a key player in their next league clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s army. But what does this mean to the team in yellow?
One of the major strengths of Al Hilal against teams was their defense. And now the backline seems to have found a hole in their center back Kalidou Koulibaly, as he is set to miss the game on Friday. This is owing to the 4th Yellow card he received for pulling a player down in the 47th minute against Al-Hazem during the last game. Koulibaly is suspended for one game and is expected to be back against Al-Tai. This comes as a piece of refreshing news for Al-Nassr with the Senegal national team captain being in supreme from this season.
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عاجل – رسميًا :
غياب كوليبالي عن مواجهة #النصر بسبب تراكم البطاقات الصفراء . pic.twitter.com/dih6p2BapM
— يعقوب (@X99i3) May 11, 2024
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Meanwhile, Koulibaly played a major role in the club’s Saudi Pro League win. The title was decided yesterday when Al Hilal beat Al Hazem 4-1 and Koulibaly was the center of the team’s defense throughout conceding just 20 goals in 28 games for the club. Moving from Chelsea for a three-year deal at $27.3m, the player has proved he’s worth the money. The 32-year-old recently posted celebrating the league win but will rest for the next game. Meanwhile, Al-Nassr hopes for a strong comeback.
End-of-Season squad boost for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr
Irrespective of the match not affecting the competition, Al-Nassr will look to win and prove their mettle against the champions. This could give them the much-needed morale boost for the King’s Cup. In more positive news for the Al Nassr, a few of the club’s crucial players will be ready to play against the club. Mainly their second star this season, Anderson Talisca could be ready by the time the King’s Cup final arrives. He scored 25 goals in all competitions this season and will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner in crime on the pitch. The Brazilian is out with a thigh injury in May and coach Luis Castro hopes for his return by the end of this month.
Moreover, reports also suggest that Sami Al Najei has returned to the training sessions. The midfielder missed a few games after sustaining a posterior thigh injury against Damac in April. Overall, it looks like the recoveries have come a bit late for the Al-Nassr. But with one trophy still up for grabs, Cristiano Ronaldo and co. will look to cash in.