Al-Nassr will do all in their power to ensure Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to play against Al-Hilal on Friday despite a neck injury.
Head coach Luis Castro confirmed that the club’s medical staff will do ‘everything’ to nurse their star back to health for the top-of-the-table showdown.
Ronaldo was forced off 78 minutes into Al-Nassr’s 0-0 Asian Champions League draw against Persepolis with the neck problem and was taken to hospital for scans.
He gained credit for his sportsmanship after he urged the referee to overturn a penalty decision that was given in his favour in a separate incident.
The draw was enough to ensure that Al-Nassr advance as Group E winners but they will be desperate to have their star man back to face arch-rivals Al-Hilal.
Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off in the Asian Champions League with an injured neck
Al-Nassr manager Luis Castro said the club will do ‘everything’ to ready him to face Al-Hilal
‘The medical team is studying the injury and will do everything to make sure he is ready for the next game,’ Castro said.
Al-Nassr are second in the Saudi Pro League and sit four points behind Al-Hilal, who are unbeaten.
Ronaldo is the top scorer in the league by some distance, racking up 15 goals – four better than nearest rival Aleksandar Mitrovic, who plays for Al-Hilal – while also bagging the most assists, seven.
The two met in the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup in August, when Ronaldo scored twice as a 10-man Al-Nassr clinched a 2-1 victory.
He was carted off injured then with a thigh blow but was still able to celebrate his first piece of silverware in Saudi Arabia and recovered soon enough.
Al-Nassr have not won the league since 2019 and know that a victory away on Friday is vital, lest they fall seven points behind with nearly half the season gone.
Ronaldo’s side are on a 20-game unbeaten run but know that Al-Hilal, who are streaks ahead of everyone bar Al-Nassr, represent their toughest test yet.
Al-Hilal have won 12 on the bounce, scoring 37 times and conceding just once in the process, despite marquee signing Neymar being injured since October.
The Brazil star completed a £78million move to the Saudi club in August but suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on international duty and was seen screaming in pain in distressing recent footage of his recovery.
Ronaldo is the league’s top scorer with 15 goals and netted twice against Al-Hilal in their Arab Club Champions Cup encounter in August
Al-Nassr next play league leaders Al-Hilal, who are spearheaded by Aleksandar Mitrovic
