Is Cristiano Ronaldo Injured? Al Nassr Skipper Likely to Miss Damac Match After Early Substitution Against Abha

Al Nassr put on quite a show last night. Luis Castro and his team emerged victorious against Abha in an eight-goal thriller. Aside from the scoreline, Cristiano Ronaldo also took the spotlight by scoring yet another hat trick. However, the atmosphere turned sour when CR7 was replaced early. While it raised concerns among fans about a possible injury, it seems that Ronaldo may miss the forthcoming match against Damac.

According to reports from the @X99i3 account, Castro isn’t inclined to field his first team for the upcoming Roshn League clash on Friday. The Portuguese strategist is considering giving key players, specifically Ronaldo, a rest since they will be crucial for the match on Monday, March 8. The decision stems from the Knights of Najd facing formidable rivals, Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final match. It subsequently calms down the speculation about Ronaldo being injured. 

After the 39-year-old did his job of putting three past Abha in the first 45 minutes, Castro substituted Ronaldo, who then watched the latter half from the bench. Notably, in addition to Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick, Sadio Mane and Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem also contributed goals before the end of the first half, making it 5-0. Later, a strike from Abdulrahman Ghareeb and a brace from Abdulaziz Al Aliwa helped Al Nassr secure an emphatic 0-8 victory. 

However, with Castro already deciding to rest crucial players for the upcoming match against Damac, it remains to be seen how they will fare in their absence. But again, it would give the likes of Ronaldo a considerable boost for Al Hilal. Speaking of which, Al Nassr might have an upper hand in the Saudi Super Cup. 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr won’t be facing the wrath of Aleksandar Mitrović in the Saudi Super Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. have received a significant advantage with news that their rival’s top goalscorer, Aleksandar Mitrović, is reportedly sidelined due to injury for the Saudi Super Cup match. The Serbian international is expected to be out of action for over a month and a half. He sustained the injury during his team’s Roshn Saudi League clash, a 3-4 win against Al Shabab, where he scored a brace in the first half. 

While this setback is undoubtedly a blow for Al Hilal, it presents a significant advantage for Al Nassr, who will seek to capitalize on Mitrovic’s absence. Moreover, Mitrovic’s prolonged absence will also aid Ronaldo in his quest to lead the goal-scoring charts, with his tally currently standing at 29 goals. Now, all that remains to be seen is whether Castro’s tough decisions against Damac will enable them to reap the fruits of victory against Al Hilal.

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