Al Nassr head into their Saudi Pro League clash with Al Shabab with Cristiano Ronaldo in full fitness and expected to start after avoiding injuries and suspensions. Head coach Jorge Jesus was also set to keep João Félix alongside Ronaldo, with Sadio Mané and Kingsley Coman expected to join the attack.
The timing matters because Ronaldo is six goals behind the league’s top scorer, while Julián Quiñones has been in excellent form and closing in on that spot. Al Nassr, who recently lost to Al Qadisiya, need a response if they are to keep their title hopes steady after the setback.
Al Shabab arrive with little momentum. They have gone winless in their last four matches and conceded five goals in their previous game, while Mohamed Harbush, Carlos Júnior and Ali Al-Asmari are out injured and Abderrazak Hamdallah is suspended. That leaves them short of options against one of the Saudi Pro League’s most dangerous attacks.
For Al Shabab, the problem is not just the scoreline they are trying to avoid. It is whether they can stop a side built to punish lapses, especially with Al Nassr’s forward line set to feature Ronaldo, Félix, Mané and Coman from the start. If they cannot tighten up quickly, this could become another difficult night in a season already marked by inconsistency.
USinTimes
