Cristiano Ronaldo set for Al-Nassr return after dispute

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return to Al-Nassr action on Friday after an unsettled international break with Portugal. The 41-year-old forward left the national team camp following a disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus and has since returned to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Nassr host Al Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League at 20:00 French time, with Ronaldo expected to be included in the squad. The match will be his first possible appearance since he was left unused against Norway in the Nations League, despite warming up for much of the second half. Ronaldo believed Jesus had promised him playing time, and later explained the dispute in a lengthy message on social media.

The forward remains central to Al-Nassr’s attack alongside Sadio Mane, Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman. Before joining Portugal, he had started each of the club’s previous six matches. His 28 league goals last season made him the division’s third-highest scorer, while he is now 21 goals short of the 1,000-goal career mark he is pursuing. Al Diriyah sit eighth in the Saudi league, giving Al-Nassr’s next fixture added importance as Ronaldo returns from a break in which he played only 66 minutes. He has also said he remains available for Portugal’s next international call-up.