Al Nassr await Ronaldo decision before Roshn Saudi League trip to Al Riyadh

Al Nassr will assess Cristiano Ronaldo in their final training session before deciding whether the Portugal forward can play against Al Riyadh in the Roshn Saudi League on Friday.

The 40-year-old captain missed Al Nassr’s group training on Wednesday as he continued an individual rehabilitation programme and completed specialised fitness work ahead of the match.

According to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiah, Ronaldo suffered an injury to his pelvic muscle during training earlier this week. However, the report said he did not experience a recurrence of the problem while completing his fitness exercises on Wednesday.

Ronaldo is due to undergo medical and physical tests overseen by Al Nassr’s medical staff during Thursday’s final session. Those assessments will determine whether he is fit enough to feature when Al Nassr travel to face Al Riyadh at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in the Saudi capital.

The match is scheduled to take place on Friday and will be the second round of the new Roshn Saudi League campaign.

Ronaldo returned to Al Nassr training earlier this week after a month-long absence. He had been away since completing his involvement with Portugal at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

His extended absence meant he was unavailable for Al Nassr’s opening two competitive fixtures of the new season. The Riyadh-based side began their Roshn Saudi League campaign with a 3-0 victory against Al Fateh before beating Al-Diriyah 4-1 in the last 32 of the King Cup.

Al Nassr will therefore have to wait until after the final round of checks before knowing whether their captain will be able to return to the squad against Al Riyadh.

The club’s preparations for Friday’s fixture have continued without Ronaldo taking part in full team training, although his work on the rehabilitation and fitness programmes has provided the latest indication of his physical condition. His medical evaluation will now be the decisive stage in determining his availability.

The potential return of Ronaldo would come as Al Nassr seek to build on their strong start to the season. They recorded a three-goal win over Al Fateh in their league opener and followed it with a four-goal victory against Al-Diriyah in the King Cup.

For now, Ronaldo’s involvement remains unresolved, with the decision expected to follow the tests carried out during Al Nassr’s final preparation session.