Cristiano Ronaldo could reportedly feature for Al-Nassr against Inter Miami next week having missed recent fixtures due to a calf injury.
The Portuguese international caused chaos last week after the Saudi Arabian side cancelled a pre-season tour of China due to an injured Ronaldo being unavailable to play.
With Inter Miami now in the Middle East, there have been growing fears that the Herons could see their own clash against Al-Nassr ruined if Ronaldo was still out injured.
However, according to AS, the 38-year-old striker is due to return to Al-Nassr training in the coming days, with Ronaldo eager to play against Inter Miami.
With Lionel Messi making the trip to Saudi Arabia, the Argentine legend’s encounter with Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr could be the last time these two titans of soccer face off against each other.
Yet for Inter Miami, the main thing about this trip should be getting fitness levels up and Tata Martino finally cracking the code on how best to set up his team going into the 2024 MLS season.
Cristiano Ronaldo should be the last thing on Inter Miami’s mind
Whilst the world media and fans of the sport will be fixated on Messi’s final encounter with Ronaldo, Inter Miami’s coaches and staff shouldn’t even give this narrative any thought.
Pre-season has so far seen zero goals from the Herons and key player Facundo Farias picking up a year-long injury that could throw away Martino’s tactical vision for Inter Miami.
And for the Argentine coach, drilling his team and getting their levels up will be the most important thing heading into this Saudi Arabia leg of the tour.
Indeed, a win against Al-Nassr would be quite something given the amount of talent the Saudi giants have on their books, and Mesis and company should be looking to show what they’ve got in their locker.