15 goals from 1,000, Ronaldo will still miss Al Nassr's match against Pakhtakor in Tashkent
Just days after a hat-trick in the Saudi Pro League, Cristiano Ronaldo will sit out Al Nassr's next match. The Portuguese forward will not play against Uzbek club Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Elite.
The 41-year-old forward is not travelling with the squad for the match in Tashkent on Monday, 2 November.
Besides Ronaldo, coach Ange Postecoglou has also left two other stars out of the squad. France's Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan are not travelling to Uzbekistan either.
According to Saudi outlet Arriyadiyah, Postecoglou decided to rest several important players because of the busy schedule across domestic and continental competitions. The plan is to manage fatigue and keep the players fresh for the matches ahead.
The report said there was no confirmed news of an injury behind Ronaldo's absence.
Young forward Abdulrahman Sufyani has taken a place in the travelling squad instead.
On Thursday, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 5-3 Saudi Pro League win over Al Kholood. Those three goals took his career total to 985. He now needs 15 more goals to reach the milestone of 1,000.
Joao Felix also played well in that match, setting up four goals for teammates. Despite that form, Ronaldo has been rested for the Pakhtakor match.
Al Nassr have taken three points from their first two matches in the AFC Champions League Elite. The Saudi club will want to improve their position in the standings by beating Pakhtakor.
Ronaldo could return on Friday, 6 November, in the Saudi Pro League match against Al Hazem. Whether he plays will depend on Postecoglou's team selection.
