Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus has played down fears that his captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, had suffered a serious injury after he limped off the pitch in Saturday’s 3-1 league win over Al Fayha.
Ronaldo, 41, was replaced in the 81st minute and soon after had an ice pack on his right hamstring as he sat on the bench.
“He felt muscular fatigue,” Jorge Jesus said after the game.
“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.”
Ronaldo had a tough game, missing a penalty and failing to score in open play. Even so, Al Nassr won to move to two points clear of Al Ahli to return to the top of the Saudi Pro League.
“We keep growing together! Important win!” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram after the game.
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Ronaldo will have time to recover after Al Nassr confirmed their Asian Champions League quarterfinal game at Al Wasl that was due to be played on March 4 had been postponed until further notice as a result of the military conflict in the region.
Ronaldo is third in the Saudi Pro League top scorers’ table. The Portugal captain has scored 21 times, while English forward Ivan Toney is top of the scoring charts with 23 goals from 23 games for Al Ahli.
