Al-Nassr Prepares for AFC Champions League Without Ronaldo
Al-Nassr roll into their next continental assignment with momentum, but without their biggest star.
Ange Postecoglou has chosen rotation over reputation for the trip to Uzbekistan to face Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Elite, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo and several other headline names at home in a calculated gamble to protect legs for a punishing schedule.
Postecoglou blinks first in fixture pile-up
The numbers tell you why the coach has moved early.
Al-Nassr ripped through the opening stretch of the Saudi Pro League, winning nine straight before finally being checked by a draw against Al-Ettifaq. They responded like a team with serious title intentions, beating Neom and Al-Khaleej to climb to 28 points. That leaves them second, level with leaders Al-Qadsiah, and right in the thick of the Roshn League race.
The domestic charge has come alongside a demanding start in Asia. Al-Alami were jolted by a 4-0 defeat to Al-Ain of the UAE in their AFC Champions League Elite opener, a result that cut through the early-season optimism. They steadied themselves immediately, though, beating Uzbekistan’s Nasaf 3-1 in the second round to restore some authority. Their third-round clash with Al-Wasl was postponed by the Asian Football Confederation, creating an awkward gap in their continental rhythm but doing nothing to ease the congestion overall.
The matches keep coming. Something had to give.
Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan stay home
This time, it is the team sheet.
According to Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, Postecoglou has opted to leave Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo out of the travelling party to Uzbekistan. French duo Mohamed Simakan and Kingsley Coman also miss the trip, three heavyweight absentees for a game that still carries serious weight in the group.
It is not punishment. It is preservation.
The coaching staff have made no secret of their concern about fatigue as the club fights on multiple fronts. With the Roshn League table tight at the top and the AFC Champions League Elite demanding high-intensity football against seasoned opponents, Postecoglou has chosen to shield his most important players from the grind of another long journey and another high-stakes night.
He wants Ronaldo and the rest of his core group sharp when the season reaches its real tests, not drained by October’s travel log.
A chance for the supporting cast
One player benefits immediately from the reshuffle.
Abdulrahman Sufyani has been drafted into the squad for the continental trip, Arriyadiyah reported, handed a valuable opportunity as others step aside. For him and the rest of the supporting cast, this is more than just a group-stage away day. It is an audition.
With Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan absent, the hierarchy shifts. Responsibility spreads. Leaders must emerge from deeper in the squad, and Postecoglou will be watching closely to see who handles the pressure of carrying Al-Nassr’s colours on foreign soil.
The stakes are clear. Al-Nassr cannot afford to drift in Asia while chasing the domestic summit.
Walking the tightrope between league and continent
This is the delicate balance every ambitious club in the region now faces.
Al-Nassr want it all: the Roshn League crown and a serious run at the AFC Champions League Elite. Rotating heavily for a continental fixture is a risk, but so is running Ronaldo and his senior lieutenants into the ground before the decisive months of the season.
The hope inside the camp is simple. The rotated side must do enough in Uzbekistan to keep them firmly in the continental fight, allowing the rested stars to return fresh and firing for the next stretch of league fixtures and the rescheduled clash with Al-Wasl.
If the plan works, Postecoglou will look like a coach in full control of a long campaign. If it backfires, questions will come quickly.
For now, Al-Nassr head to Pakhtakor with their depth on display and their biggest names watching from home, the kind of call that can define how a season ultimately ends.
