Cristiano Ronaldo left out as Al Nassr manage workload before Pakhtakor match

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite meeting with Pakhtakor on Monday, with the club’s head coach citing a demanding schedule and the strain of frequent travel.

The Portuguese forward is one of three key players being rested for the fourth-round fixture, alongside France international Kingsley Coman and defender Mohamed Simakan.

Postecoglou said the decision was designed to reduce the physical burden on the trio as Al Nassr manage a succession of matches and long journeys, rather than being limited to Ronaldo alone.

“I decided to rest Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan because of the congested schedule and the amount of travelling,” Postecoglou said at his pre-match news conference.

Al Nassr arrive at the match having made an inconsistent start to their continental campaign. They opened with a 1-1 draw against Pakhtakor before beating UAE club Al Wasl 3-1.

Their most recent result in the competition was a 3-1 defeat by Qatar’s Al Shamal, leaving them seeking a positive result to strengthen their position in the West Region group.

Monday’s game is scheduled for 02 November 2026, with Al Nassr aiming to respond to that defeat despite the absence of Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan.

Postecoglou also said the team had made significant progress since the beginning of the season, when preparations had been difficult and the squad was not fully ready.

“Despite the difficult start, the preparation circumstances and not being fully ready at the beginning of the season, we have now reached an excellent stage,” he said.

“We want to confirm that through tomorrow’s match.”

The Australian coach stressed the importance of the competition to Al Nassr and said the club had clear ambitions in the AFC Champions League Elite.

“The tournament is important to us, and we know very well what we want to achieve here,” he added.

Al Nassr’s next continental assignment therefore comes with two competing priorities: improving their position in the group and protecting important players during a congested period. Postecoglou’s decision means Ronaldo will not feature as the side attempts to recover from its defeat by Al Shamal and build on the earlier win over Al Wasl.