Al Nassr kicked off their first AFC Champions League group stage match with a victory. After the win against Persepolis, Al Nassr is back in Riyadh to continue their Roshn Saudi League journey. One would think Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. must be busy with their soccer drills for tonight’s match. But that isn’t the case, as their boss has canceled all the drills and instituted a regimen of recovery exercises for the players.

Already Ronaldo risked getting injured in the previous encounter. With that in mind, the Portuguese superstar’s boss seems to have taken a therapeutic approach.

No training drills for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.

On Tuesday, Al Nassr were in Iran to play their AFC Champions League tie. Just two days later, on Friday, they are set to compete in their Saudi Pro League game against Al Ahli. This tight schedule prompted the team to return home early from Iran, leaving no time for the players to catch their breath before their next fixture.

This has led Al Nassr’s boss Luis Castro to cancel the team’s drill and impose recovery exercises on the players. Apparently, the Portuguese coach opted against organizing a training camp ahead of the Al Ahli match. Instead, he has asked his players to directly assemble at noon for lunch before heading to the stadium. Indeed, it’s quite a surprising call from the 62-year-old tactician.

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Evidently, the manager is prioritizing player safety and minimizing the risk of injury. Hence, they would be doing some recovery sessions and then directly playing the match. Perhaps this unconventional decision comes on the heels of Ronaldo’s near miss with injury during the previous encounter. But what exactly happened?

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CR7 risked his injury to play for Al Nassr

Previously, there were concerns about Ronaldo’s availability for the Persepolis match due to pre-game fatigue and the poor quality of the playing surface, which increased the risk of potential injuries. However, the team captain defied the odds, making an appearance in the game and even playing the entire 90 minutes.

Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo narrowly avoided a severe injury during the match when an opposing player launched a dangerous tackle. Luckily, he departed from Iran without any negative developments. Nevertheless, today’s scheduled recovery session should provide him with the opportunity to rejuvenate and prepare more effectively for the upcoming game, ensuring he can deliver a stronger performance.

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