The Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nassr, has been ruled out of the Clasico against arch-rivals Al-Ittihad.
Al-Nassr will host Al-Ittihad tomorrow, Friday, at Al-Awwal Park, in the 21st round of the Roshn Saudi League.
A Saudi newspaper confirmed Ronaldo's omission from the squad that will face the Clasico.
This comes despite Ronaldo returning to full training on Wednesday, which had led some to expect his involvement.
Ronaldo missed his team's last match against Riyadh on Monday in the 20th round.
Reports say the absence stems from Ronaldo's displeasure with Karim Benzema's move from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal in the winter transfer window, as he believes the leader club received greater backing from rivals.
Al-Nassr currently sit second in the Saudi Pro League table on 46 points, one point behind leaders Al-Hilal.
Fans wonder whether Ronaldo will be fit to join future clashes.
Only time will tell if the drama off the pitch spills onto the pitch.
What’s at stake
The clash is a marquee bout in the Roshn Saudi League, with title implications and bragging rights on the line as Al-Nassr chase leadership.
Punchline 1: Ronaldo's seating chart today reads: bench, bench, bench — sniper mode on standby.
Punchline 2: If rumors were bullets, January would be a full-on transfer rifle spotlight.
