Is Cristiano Ronaldo Playing Tonight for Al Nassr vs Al Hazm in King Cup of Champions?

The midweek action returns for Al Nassr, courtesy of the King Cup of Champions. Facing their first opponents in the tournament at the Round of 32 stage would be Al Hazm at their own Al Awwal Park. With new coach Stefano Pioli at the helm, the Knights of the Najd would be looking for a win. However, just before the kick-off, the question looms whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing tonight.

Concerns remained regarding his presence even in the previous Saudi Pro League clash against Al Ettifaq. It came after he was forced to miss the AFC Champions League opening group stage match against Al Shorta due to a severe viral infection. However, the Portuguese superstar made an appearance during Pioli’s debut.

Considering there are no specific injury concerns surrounding the skipper, one can say that CR7 should play tonight in the King Cup of Champions  However, given that it’s a fixture of just the opening stages of the tournament, there may remain a possibility to see Pioli give a rest to Cristiano Ronaldo. The veteran will surely see Al Nassr vs Al Hazm from the stands.

The former AC Milan coach may bring the Real Madrid icon in the later stages of the game. Yet again, with the game being held on the home turf, there isn’t a reason why Ronaldo wouldn’t be playing. Not to mention the 39-year-old has been in a decent goal-scoring form so far. In the opening four Saudi Pro League matches, Cristiano has netted three goals. Hence, this makes his presence in the game necessary for Al Nassr even more.

Additionally, Stefano Pioli also has a key task on his shoulders to do nothing but win the first match of the King Cup of Champions. He did well in his debut match against Al Ettifaq, considering the Italian manager was unveiled as the new replacement for Luis Castro just hours before the clash. A 0-3 win perfectly ended the three-match winning streak of Steven Gerrard and Co.

Meanwhile, Al Nassr occupied 5th place in the table with a tally of 8, with a four-point deficit to leader Al Hilal. Regardless, for now, the focus remains on the King Cup. While there are no doubts regarding the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, there are others who may miss the clash.

A few teammates of Cristiano Ronaldo may miss Al Nassr vs Al Hazm

As per the latest reports, midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and defender Ali Lajami will be the two absentees for today’s clash. The duo is reportedly not ready for the match and won’t make an appearance for the same. While there aren’t any other injury or suspension concerns, Al Nassr fans can expect some rotations within the squad.

The most-anticipated one can be on the goalkeeping front, with Nawaf Al Aquidi replacing Beto. Other changes can be seen in a few defensive and midfield areas. Overall, the rest of the starting XI is mostly expected to remain the same. Now the only task in the hands of Stefano Pioli and Co,’s hands is to win.