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Cristiano Ronaldo will not feature when Al Nassr take on Al Shabab in the local Riyadh derby in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday (January 14). This will be the second game he will miss for his new club since being unveiled in front of an adoring crowd at Mrsool Park earlier this month.
The Portuguese ace joined the Saudi Arabian giants on a free transfer after his contract with Manchester United was terminated prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has signed a two-and-a-half year contract which will see him pocket around £177 million per year.
Supporters, however, will have to wait a little longer to see Ronaldo play in their yellow shirt. The Portugal forward is currently serving a two-match ban given to him by the Football Association (FA). This was due to him smashing a young fan's phone after Manchester United's game against Everton last season.
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He served one of those bans last week when his side faced Al Tai (January 6). The game against Al Shabab will therefore be the second and last match the forward will be banned after which he will be available for selection.
Al Nassr manager Rudi Garcia confirmed that Ronaldo could make his debut in a friendly game against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on January 19. He was quoted as saying the following (via TalkSPORT):
“It [his debut] won’t be with the Al Nassr jersey. It will be a mix between Al Hilal and Al Nassr. As the coach of Al Nassr, I cannot be happy with this match."
Ronaldo's official debut for his new side could happen three days after the friendly match against PSG in a Saudi Pro League game against Al Ettifaq.
Al Nassr secured a comfortable win in the Saudi Pro League despite Cristiano Ronaldo's absence
Cristiano Ronaldo's absence did not hamper his new club side as Rudi Garcia's outfit secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Al Tai last week. A brace from former Benfica forward Talisca was enough to secure all three points on Friday, January 6.
The former Real Madrid man will be competing outside Europe for the first time in his career. He, however, has not been in the best of form this season.
The Portuguese forward scored just three goals for Manchester United during the 2022-23 season, of which only one of them came in the Premier League. The other two goals were scored in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
