Cristiano Ronaldo Misses Al-Nassr Friendly Against SV Johannesburg
Al-Nassr kicked off their preseason in Austria without their star forward, as Cristiano Ronaldo misses Al-Nassr’s friendly against the Austrian club SV Johannesburg on Saturday. Head coach Jorge Jesus chose to rest Ronaldo, and several other internationals during the club’s first warm-up match of the summer.
Jesus Excludes Key Players from First Match
According to Saudi outlet Al-Riyadh, Jorge Jesus opted to exclude a group of players from the squad, including Ronaldo, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Abdul-Ilah Al-Amri, Nawaf Bushel, Salem Al-Najdi, Ali Al-Hassan, Ayman Yahya, and Mubarak Al-Bouainain. Instead of participating in the match, these players were assigned a special evening training session.
The rest of the squad took part in a morning fitness workout as part of the team’s preparations in the Austrian city of Saalfelden.
Ronaldo Returns After International Duty
Cristiano Ronaldo misses Al-Nassr game after just arriving in camp the day before. He and his teammates had been granted extended breaks due to international duty. Ronaldo recently represented Portugal in the UEFA Nations League, while the other absentees played with the Saudi national team in the Gold Cup.
Busy Preseason Schedule for Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr has a packed friendly schedule lined up for their Austrian camp. The club is set to face Toulouse (France), Shabab Al-Ahli (UAE), Sheffield United (England), and Almeria (Spain) before wrapping up their training in Austria on August 4. They will then head to Portugal for further preparations, before returning to Riyadh on August 11.
