Cristiano Ronaldo is pushing Al Nassr back toward the top of the Saudi Pro League after an uneven start to 2026, with the team stringing together three straight wins. However, ahead of Friday’s match against Al Kholood, Ronaldo will be dealing with a squad setback after one of Al Nassr’s key players picked up an injury.
Absences have already proven costly for Al Nassr, who opened the season with a historic run of 10 consecutive league wins before injuries and international call-ups took their toll. Mohamed Simakan’s injury and Sadio Mané’s departure for the 2025 AFCON disrupted the team’s momentum, and now another setback has emerged.
According to Ariyadhiah, Marcelo Brozović will miss Matchday 19 against Al Kholood. The midfielder felt pain in his thigh early in Wednesday’s training session, prompting the club to decide on rest rather than risk further injury.
The Saudi outlet added that Brozović underwent medical tests on Thursday to assess his condition and potential return to training. After evaluation, the medical staff ruled him out for the match, with his recovery timeline yet to be determined.
Marcelo Brozovic of Al Nassr.
As the team’s holding midfielder, Brozović has been a stabilizing presence since joining Al Nassr in 2023. In the 2025-26 campaign, he has recorded one goal and four assists in 23 appearances, making his absence a significant blow as Ronaldo looks to close the gap at the top of the SPL standings.
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Al Nassr face another midfield challenge
With Simakan sidelined earlier in the season, Al Nassr’s defensive solidity suffered, conceding as many goals during his absence as they had previously allowed across the campaign. Although the French center back has returned, replacing Brozović now presents a fresh test for head coach Jorge Jesus.
The Croatian has already missed two league matches this season, one through injury and another due to yellow-card accumulation. In those games, a 2-0 road win over Al Hazem and a 3-2 victory against Al Shabab on January 17, Jesus opted for a double-pivot setup featuring Angelo and Abdullah Al Khaibari, both of whom performed reliably.
However, Al Khaibari is suspended for the clash with Al Kholood after accumulating yellow cards. That leaves Ali Al Hassan as the likely replacement, despite having logged just 440 minutes across 22 appearances this season, a risky call at a moment when Al Nassr can ill afford to drop points.
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