Cristiano Ronaldo among four Al-Nassr absentees for Kings Cup opener

Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al-Nassr’s King’s Cup meeting with Al-Diriyah, with three other players also ruled out of Tuesday’s last-32 tie.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 21:00 local time on Tuesday, as Al-Nassr begin their campaign in the competition. Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiya reported that head coach Ange Postecoglou has left Ronaldo out of the squad, along with defender Saad Al-Nasser, forward Mohammed Maran and goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi.

It will be Al-Nassr’s second match of the season without Ronaldo, who only returned to training last Thursday after completing his holiday.

Ronaldo had represented Portugal at the World Cup before subsequently getting married. His absence means he will not feature as Al-Nassr attempt to progress from the opening round of the King’s Cup.

Al-Nassr began their Saudi Pro League campaign with a 3-0 victory in the opening round. However, Saad Al-Nasser and Mohammed Maran both picked up injuries during that match.

Al-Nasser suffered a calf strain, while Maran sustained a hamstring injury. Neither player has been selected for the meeting with Al-Diriyah as a result.

Al-Aqidi’s return has also been delayed after he missed the start of the season because of a shoulder bruise. The goalkeeper remains unavailable for the King’s Cup fixture.

There was one positive development for Postecoglou, with defender Abdulelah Al-Amri returning to the squad after recovering from the injury that kept him out of Al-Nassr’s opening league match against Al Fateh.

Al-Nassr are the reigning Saudi Pro League champions, having won the title last season for the 11th time in the club’s history. Their match against Al-Diriyah provides an opportunity to begin their defence of the King’s Cup, although they will do so without Ronaldo and three other members of the first-team squad.

The club’s decision to rest or exclude Ronaldo comes shortly after his return to training following his extended break. The Portugal forward’s absence, combined with the injuries to Al-Nasser and Maran and the continued wait for Al-Aqidi’s comeback, leaves Postecoglou without four players for the cup tie.