Cristiano Ronaldo (Image credits: Getty Images) Cristiano Ronaldo is facing an unexpected setback after Al-Nassr confirmed the Portuguese star has left Saudi Arabia to undergo treatment for a hamstring injury. The veteran forward limped off in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 league win over Al-Fayha last weekend, and his future availability was immediately in question for the games to come. Later, head coach Jorge Jesus revealed that the injury is worse than they had expected. Ronaldo, who is still one of the most influential players in the Saudi Pro League at the age of 41, will now head over to Madrid to rework with his personal physiotherapist as Al-Nassr hopes their talisman returns before a crucial stretch of domestic and international games.
Al-Nassr coach reveals concerning news on Ronaldo’s hamstring injury
Speaking ahead of Al-Nassr’s upcoming clash with Neom Sports Club in the league, Jorge Jesus confirmed that medical examinations had indicated that spritz Jorge Jesus had a more complicated problem with his muscle than initially thought by the team. “In the last game, Cristiano went away with a muscle injury,” Jesus said. “After the tests he underwent, it was clear that it was a more serious injury than we were expecting.” The coach of Al-Nassr added that now, Ronaldo will travel to Madrid to start specialized recovery treatment.Ahead of Saturday’s home league game against Neom Sports Club, Jorge Jesus said, “In the last game, Cristiano left with a muscle injury.” He added, “After the tests he underwent, it became clear that it is a more serious injury than we were expecting. He will need rest and recovery. Cristiano will travel to Spain for treatment, as will other players who were injured. He will need treatment from his personal physiotherapist. We hope he will return soon to help the team.”The decision to undergo treatment in Spain is a long-standing preference of Ronaldo to work with trusted rehabilitation experts outside the club set up when dealing with muscle injuries. However, Al-Nassr hasn’t given a specific timeline for his return, leaving uncertainty over how many games he could miss.
Title race pressure mounts ahead of Ronaldo targets before Portugal duty
Ronaldo has been one of the most influential players for Al-Nassr this season despite being in the later stages of his career. The current third-highest goal-scoring Portuguese captain in the Saudi Pro League, with 21 goals. Only Ivan Toney, who has scored 23 goals for Al-Ahli, is ahead of him. Al-Nassr are two points clear at the top of the standings, meaning the absence of a key player such as Ronaldo could have an impact on the club’s momentum in the title race if the length of the recovery period is prolonged.There is also growing attention around the availability of Ronaldo for the international friendlies that will be played for Portugal. The Portugal national football team will play the Mexico national football team on March 28 at the renovated Estadio Azteca prior to facing the United States men’s national soccer team on March 31 in Atlanta in their World Cup preparations. However, the immediate focus for Ronaldo will be recovery. The veteran forward remains desperate to press on with Al-Nassr’s title bid as well as move closer to the historic goal of scoring 1,000 times in his career: a goal that keeps the football world watching his every step, even when he is injured and risks slowing down.
