Cristiano Ronaldo misses group training in possible blow for Al-Nassr: Will he be ready to play against Damac?
The momentum finally felt positive again, the pressure slightly eased after a long-awaited win, and yet uncertainty has returned almost immediately. Just days after halting a damaging run of results, Cristiano Ronaldo is once again at the center of attention — not for a goal or a celebration, but for his absence. As Al-Nassr prepares for a crucial away trip, questions are swirling about whether their talisman will be ready when it matters most.
The visit to Damac arrives at a delicate moment in the season. Al-Nassr needs consistency to revive a faltering title challenge, while Damac is fighting for survival near the foot of the table. Yet the buildup has been overshadowed by concern rather than confidence.
Al-Nassr’s campaign has been a story of sharp contrasts. The season opened with ten straight league victories, a run that placed them firmly at the summit and painted them as overwhelming favorites. That dominance began to unravel late in 2025, starting with a draw away to Al-Ettifaq and followed by three consecutive defeats, including a damaging loss to title rival Al-Hilal.
That slide finally stopped over the weekend. A dramatic 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab ended a four-match winless run and allowed Al-Nassr to cling to second place. The win, secured by a late strike from Abdulrahman Ghareeb, restored belief — but did little to mask lingering defensive issues. Thus, the upcoming fixture is more than just another league match. Al-Nassr is now seven points behind Al-Hilal, a gap that demands near-perfection from here on. Any dropped points against lower-ranked opposition could effectively end their title ambitions.
Damac, meanwhile, approaches the game with its own desperation. Sitting 15th in the table, just two points above the relegation zone, the Knight of the South managed only one league win all season and is winless in eight home matches.
The training absence that raised alarms
Concern around Al-Nassr intensified when reports emerged that Ronaldo did not take part in group training ahead of the match. Instead, the Portuguese star remained inside the club’s medical facilities while teammates trained on the pitch.
According to Al-Riyadiyah, Ronaldo “missed the group training session on Monday and instead used the club’s health facilities in coordination with the coaching staff, in order to avoid fatigue after playing two matches in less than a week.”
The session itself reportedly lasted two hours and focused heavily on physical and technical preparation, highlighting how carefully the staff is managing workloads during this congested period.
Will Ronaldo be fit enough to play?
The mystery surrounding Ronaldo’s absence becomes clearer when placed in context. This was not the result of a new injury, but a calculated decision aimed at managing fatigue after an intense run of fixtures. The same source emphasized that the decision was taken “to avoid physical fatigue,” rather than due to any setback. With Ronaldo having featured twice in less than a week, the coaching staff opted for precaution over risk.
Even with the Portuguese carefully managed, Al-Nassr faces other issues. Defender Abdulilah Al-Amri remains sidelined with a calf injury, while Sadio Mane is still unavailable following Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph. On the positive side, Marcelo Brozovic and goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi return from suspension, bolstering the spine of the team.
The reliance on Ronaldo remains obvious. He and Joao Felix have been directly involved in 67% of Al-Nassr’s league goals, underlining just how central his presence is to their attacking structure.