Al-Nassr FC Face Pakhtakor Without Ronaldo In Champions League

Al-Nassr FC will be without Cristiano Ronaldo when they face Pakhtakor in the AFC Champions League Elite on November 2, 2026. The Portuguese superstar has been left out of the travelling squad alongside Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan as manager Ange Postecoglou manages his players’ workload during a demanding run of fixtures.

Postecoglou further explained that the decision was influenced by the pressure of the club’s schedule and the amount of travelling required. Ronaldo’s absence comes few days after he scored a hat-trick in Al-Nassr’s 5-3 victory over Al-Kholood, taking his career tally to 985 goals.

Al-Nassr Need A Strong Champions League Response

The Saudi League champion are looking to improve their position in the AFC Champions League Elite after a difficult start to the competition. They suffered a 4-0 defeat to Al-Ain in their opening match before recording a 3-1 victory over Neftchi Fergana. With Ronaldo unavailable, Postecoglou will now expect the remaining players to deliver a strong performance and secure valuable points in Uzbekistan.