Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League tie against Al-Duhail on Tuesday with the Portuguese star recovering from fatigue after recent matches.
Al-Nassr head coach Luis Castro confirmed Ronaldo will not feature against their Qatari opponents in the group stage match.
Castro stressed that Ronaldo needed to recuperate from recent matches.
The 38-year-old had played the full 120 minutes of Al-Nassr’s 1-0 win over Al-Ettifaq in the King Cup of Champions last Tuesday.
He then scored a opening strike in his side’s 2-0 victory over Al Khaleej on Saturday, his 400th goal since turning 30.
Castro told a pre-match press conference that Ronaldo ‘needs to rest’ due to fatigue.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo will not participate in the Al-Duhail match because he is tired due to his many participations,’ Castro said.
‘I know that there are those who want to see him, but he needs to rest.
‘He is not ready, but we have many stars.
‘I did not decide to exclude the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, but his capabilities decided that.
‘Because 48 hours ago he played a match, and before that he played 120 minutes.’
The Saudi Arabian side are in a strong position in their Asian Champions League group at the halfway stage having won all three of their matches.
Al-Nassr hold a three-point lead over Iranian side Persepolis, with Al-Duhail and Istiklol trailing having earned one point.
Victory would see Al-Nassr close in on a place in the last-16 stage of the competition.
The match will not be the first time Ronaldo has been rested by Al-Nassr recently, with the Portugal legend granted a game off as his side swept past Ohod 5-1 in the King Cup of Champions in September.
Ronaldo is Al-Nassr’s top scorer this season, netting 21 times in 22 matches.
