Cristiano Ronaldo to miss Al Nassr match in AFC Champions League Elite after Viral Infection

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Al Nassr will miss the services of Cristiano Ronaldo in their first AFC Champions League Elite match of the season.

The Saudi club is set to lock horns against Iraqi club Al Shorta on Monday (September 16), but they will have to grind out a result without their talismanic striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo played in the previous match for Al Nassr in the Saudi league, but he has been ruled out of Monday's encounter due to an unforeseen reason.

Cristiano Ronaldo suffers Viral Infection

Cristiano Ronaldo is under the weather as the player suffered a viral infection. As a result, the 39-year-old won't play any part for Al Nassr in their match against Al Shorta.

"Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo was not feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection," stated a club announcement on X on Sunday.

"The team's doctor confirmed he needs to rest and stay at home. As a result he will not be travelling with the team to Iraq today. We wish our captain a speedy recovery," the statement further added.

What is AFC Asian Champions League Elite

The Asian Champions League Elite will commence on Monday, featuring 24 teams split into East and West groups. Each team will compete against eight different opponents during the group stage. The top eight teams from each zone will progress to the last 16, which will be played over two legs in March.

Saudi Arabia, set to host the 2034 World Cup, will also host this revamped Champions League Elite starting Monday. The final stages of the competition are slated to take place in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4.

Al Nassr have made a modest start to their campaign. After three matches, Cristiano Ronaldo's club sit 6th in the Saudi League points table with 5 points. They are already four points adrift in the title race and will need a resurgence in the coming months. With Ronaldo out of the ACL Elite match now, the onus will be on other players to provide a good start in the continental competition.