Cristiano Ronaldo starts as Al Nassr turn to Gulf Cup winners for Al-Diriyah derby

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to the Al Nassr starting line-up as the Saudi side face Al-Diriyah in the Riyadh derby in the Roshn Saudi League on Friday.

The Portugal forward is fit to play after his recent issue with the national team and leads the attack at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. He starts alongside compatriot Joao Felix, with Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane operating on the right and left flanks respectively.

Al Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou has also selected two players who helped Saudi Arabia win the Arabian Gulf Cup 27 just three days ago. Right-back Nawaf Boushal and midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari both retain their places for the eighth-round fixture.

Goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi is unavailable after sustaining an injury during the Gulf tournament, while defender Abdulelah Al-Amri has been left out because of fatigue. Forward Abdullah Al-Hamdan is among the substitutes.

Al Nassr go into the match fourth in the league with 16 points from five wins, one draw and one defeat. They are three points behind Al-Qadsiah, who have played one more match.

Al Nassr’s starting line-up is:

Goalkeeper: Bento

Defenders: Nawaf Boushal, Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martinez, Awad Aman

Midfielders: Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Seko Fofana, Joao Felix

Forwards: Sadio Mane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kingsley Coman