Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Al Nassr squad for Riyadh test

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in the Al Nassr squad for Friday’s meeting with Riyadh, putting the Portugal captain in line to make his first appearance of the season in the Roshn Saudi League.

Ronaldo missed Al Nassr’s opening league match and their King’s Cup tie, but his inclusion suggests he could return to action as Ange Postecoglou’s side look to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.

Al Nassr travel to Riyadh aiming to build on a 3-0 victory over Al Fateh in the opening round of the league. Riyadh, meanwhile, will be seeking a response after losing their first match of the competition.

According to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiyah, Postecoglou has selected 21 players for the fixture. France defender Mohamed Simakan and Portugal midfielder Samu Costa are not included, with the coaching staff opting to rest both players as part of a rotation policy during a demanding run of consecutive matches.

The 21-man group contains two goalkeepers: Brazilian Bento Matheus and Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi.

The defensive options are Nawaf Boushal, Salem Al-Najdi, Awad Aman, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Inigo Martinez and Nader Al-Sharari.

In midfield, Postecoglou has chosen Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sami Al-Najei, Ali Al-Hassan, Abdulmalik Al-Jaber and Angelo Gabriel.

Ronaldo is among the attacking players selected, alongside Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Rakan Al-Ghamdi and Saad Haqawi.

One player must be removed from the matchday squad before kick-off to meet the permitted limit. The final decision is expected to come from a group comprising Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, Saad Haqawi and Rakan Al-Ghamdi.

Ronaldo’s possible return comes at an important point for Al Nassr. The club began its league campaign with a convincing win against Al Fateh before progressing in the King’s Cup, beating Al-Diriyah 4-1 to reach the last 16.

His presence would give Postecoglou another high-profile attacking option for the trip to Riyadh. The manager already has Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane available, and Ronaldo’s availability is likely to increase interest in how Al Nassr’s forward line will be configured in the second round of the league.

Although being named in the squad does not confirm that Ronaldo will start, it represents a significant change from the opening fixtures and raises the prospect of the captain leading Al Nassr’s attack again.

Al Nassr will hope the return of their Portuguese forward can help them extend their strong early-season form, while Riyadh will attempt to claim their first points of the league campaign at the expense of one of the competition’s leading sides.