Al Nassr football club has confirmed that star player Cristiano Ronaldo is dealing with a hamstring injury. The Saudi Pro League team released a statement on Tuesday providing an update on the 41-year-old forward’s condition.
Ronaldo was forced to leave the pitch during Saturday’s match against Al Fayha. The incident occurred in the 81st minute of the game, which Al Nassr won 3-1. After being substituted, the Portugal international was seen sitting on the bench with an ice pack placed on his right hamstring.
According to the club’s official statement, Ronaldo has already started his recovery work. “He started a rehabilitation program and will be under evaluation day by day,” the team said. The club did not provide a specific timeline for when he might return to action.
Following the match on Saturday, Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus played down concerns about the severity of the issue. The coach explained that the decision to substitute Ronaldo from the game was a precautionary measure. “He felt muscular fatigue,” Jesus said. “After we made it 2-1, I didn’t want to risk it and I replaced him. The medical department will assess his condition, but what he felt was just muscle fatigue.”
Despite the injury concern, Al Nassr secured an important victory. The win moved the team two points clear of Al Ahli, returning them to the top of the Saudi Pro League standings.
It was a difficult personal outing for Ronaldo, who missed a penalty during the match and was unable to score from open play.
Ronaldo will now have additional time to focus on his recovery. Al Nassr confirmed that their Asian Champions League Two quarterfinal match against Al Wasl, originally scheduled for March 4, has been postponed. The club cited the military conflict in the region as the reason for the delay, with no new date announced yet.
The team’s next game is currently scheduled for Saturday against Neom in the Saudi Pro League. It remains unclear if Ronaldo will be available for that fixture.
Before his injury, Ronaldo had been enjoying a strong season in front of goal. He currently sits in third place on the Saudi Pro League top scorers list, having found the net 21 times. The current leader is English forward Ivan Toney of Al Ahli, who has scored 23 goals in 23 games.