Postecoglou praises Al-Nassr depth after 3-0 win as packed schedule looms

Ange Postecoglou has warned that Al-Nassr face an unusually demanding period after opening their Roshn Saudi League campaign with a 3-0 victory over Al-Fateh.

The Australian manager said Al-Nassr will be the only Saudi club to play three matches in six days this week, creating an immediate test of his ability to manage fatigue and maintain the squad’s fitness at the start of the season.

The tight schedule comes before all of Postecoglou’s players have reached full match sharpness, with members of the squad joining the pre-season camp at different times.

“We will play three matches in six days this week,” Postecoglou said at his post-match news conference.

He added that results would not be the only priority during the demanding run, with the club also needing to protect the players’ physical condition and make sure they remain available for the matches ahead.

Ronaldo fitness to be assessed

Cristiano Ronaldo was present to support Al-Nassr in the victory over Al-Fateh, but Postecoglou indicated that the captain’s recovery would now be the main consideration, with only two days between the match and the team’s next fixture.

“Cristiano is here today, and he is always with us. The most important thing now is recovery, especially because we have only two days after this match. We will then decide which players can take part based on their readiness,” he said.

Postecoglou was also encouraged by the strength of his squad, particularly after several important players missed the opening game.

“As I said before the match, we have a strong squad. There were important players who did not play today, but what matters to me is that all the players who took part, whether they started or came on during the match, performed brilliantly,” he said.

The manager described the meeting with Al-Fateh as a valuable examination of his side. Opening games can be difficult, he said, especially when players have followed different preparation schedules and have not all had the same amount of time to build their fitness.

“We are not at 100% fitness, but the players’ performance and commitment were very, very good,” Postecoglou said.

He reserved particular praise for Sami Al-Naji, who has returned after spending an entire season out of action because of injuries.

Postecoglou said the midfielder had impressed during pre-season, but stressed that he would need time before being asked to play a full part again.

“He performed brilliantly during the preparation period, and it is natural that he needs some time to play after missing an entire season,” he said.

The victory over Al-Fateh therefore represents only the beginning of a demanding sequence for Al-Nassr. Postecoglou’s side must now try to preserve their positive start while carefully managing Ronaldo and the rest of the squad through one of the most testing periods of the season so far.