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Cristiano Ronaldo could return to the starting XI when Al-Nassr take on Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Friday (August 18) at the KSU Stadium. The Riyadh-based side will want to return to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Al-Ettifaq in their last game.
Ronaldo picked up an injury during the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup against Al-Hilal on Saturday (August 12), where he scored a brace to clinch the trophy. The knock saw him miss the Saudi Pro League opener against Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq.
According to the Hard Tackle, however, Cristiano Ronaldo should be back to fitness to feature in the game against Al-Taawoun. Should the five-time Ballon d'Or winner return to the starting XI, he would take Sadio Mane's place up front as the central forward. Mane would then return to his place on the left wing with Anderson Talisca back on the right flank.
There is, however, a possibility that Ronaldo is not fit and is not risked for the game on Friday. In that case, Mane should remain as Al-Nassr's leading attacker up front.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a great start to the 2023-24 season. He has already scored six goals from six games for Al-Nassr this season as he guided his side to their first-ever Arab Club Champions Cup title.
Al-Taawoun will come into the game on the back of the 1-1 draw against Al-Fateh in their opening game of the season. The game against Al-Nassr therefore will be their second consecutive away game to kickstart the new league season.
Luis Castro's side, on the other hand, will want to pick up their first win of the 2023-24 season as they look to win their first Saudi Pro League title since 2019.
How did Cristiano Ronaldo perform for Al-Nassr against Al-Taawoun last season?
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer back in December 2022 and therefore only featured for his new side for half a season. He played Al-Taawoun on just one occasion last time around.
The Knights of Najd secured a 2-1 home victory on that occasion. Ronaldo, who is goalscoring prowess, turned provider during that game. The former Manchester United superstar provided two assists on that occasion, one for Abdulrahman Ghareeb and the other for Abdullah Madu.
It is worth mentioning that those were the only two assists Cristiano Ronaldo provided last season. He ended the 2022-23 season in Saudi Arabia with a tally of 14 goals and two assists from 19 outings across all competitions.
