Ronaldo rested as Al-Nassr travel to Uzbekistan for AFC Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League encounter with Uzbek side Pakhtakor in Tashkent on Monday, with manager Ange Postecoglou opting to rest the Portuguese forward along with Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan. The Australian tactician cited the intensity of the fixture calendar and extensive travel commitments as the primary reason for the decision.

Ronaldo, who recently netted a hat-trick in Saudi Pro League action to reach 985 career goals, has been excluded from the squad roster for the continental competition clash. Postecoglou's squad rotation strategy reflects the demanding schedule facing Saudi clubs competing in Asia's premier club championship.

Al-Nassr's trip to Central Asia comes just a week after their previous AFC Champions League fixture was postponed. The postponement raised questions about the tournament's continuity, with security concerns in Saudi Arabia potentially affecting the competition's scheduling across Asia's top clubs.

The Riyadh-based club remains among the tournament's underperformers, currently occupying ninth position in the western zone group — the lowest ranking of five Saudi Pro League representatives in the 32-team tournament. Al-Nassr seeks its maiden Asian title, though an inconsistent campaign to date has limited its prospects of advancing through the western group phase.