Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli has decided to exclude Cristiano Ronaldo from Tuesday’s match against Damac in the Saudi League.
According to Saudi media reports, the Italian coach’s decision is to give Ronaldo a rest and prevent him from becoming exhausted before embarking on a very important battle this season.
Al-Nassr effectively lost the chance to compete for the Saudi League title after losing to Al-Qadisiyah on Friday, and thus their efforts will be focused solely on the AFC Champions League.
Given the tight schedule and the limited time, Pioli believes resting Ronaldo is necessary a few days before the crucial match against Yokohama F. Marinos in the AFC Champions League quarterfinals, scheduled for next Saturday.
Brazilian Gabriel and John Duran will replace Ronaldo as the striker against Damac.
It’s worth noting that Ronaldo is the top scorer in the Saudi League with 23 goals, and in Asia, he has scored seven goals in six matches so far.
