Jesus's tweaks reshape Al Nassr's lineup for Taawon clash
25 January 2026
Lineup reshuffle ahead of Taawon clash
Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is rotating the Al Nassr squad for Monday's match against Al Taawon at First Park, in the 18th round of the Roshen Saudi Pro League. Angelo Gabriel misses the final squad due to the foreign-player cap.
Eight foreign players are named, led by Brazilian goalkeeper Bento Matheus and Senegalese winger Sadio Mane, who recently returned after winning AFCON with Senegal.
The 20-man list omits Wesley Texeira and Haidar Abdul Karim, while Ayman Yahya is sidelined by injury. Nawaf Al-Akidi returns from suspension, with Ronaldo captaining a blend of domestic and overseas talents.
Jesus's rotation marks Angelo's second omission this season, following a prior exclusion in another league clash. Expect Matheus to start in goal against Al Taawon after his starts in the previous two matches.
The upcoming fixture has title implications: Al Nassr is second with 37 points, while Al Taawon sits fifth with 35, setting up a pivotal duel in the race for the top spots.
Punchline 1: If his tactics were a sniper, he aims for the top corner every time—and somehow always delivers a cheeky grin with the save.
Punchline 2: Jesus rotates so much that even the GPS on the ball gets confused about its own direction.
