Al-Alami revives ahead of the Riyadh battle
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return to action for Al-Nassr, named in the squad for Friday evening's clash with Al-Riyadh in the second round of the Roshn Pro League. It could mark a first appearance for the "Global" captain after he sat out the opening round and the King's Cup of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Al-Nassr travel to Al-Riyadh looking to build on the perfect start they made with a comprehensive victory over Al-Fateh, three goals without reply. The hosts, meanwhile, want to bounce back from their opening-round defeat.
21 players in Postecoglou's squad
Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadiah" report that Al-Nassr's Australian coach Ange Postecoglou has called up 21 players for the match. France's Mohamed Simakan and Portugal's Samu Costa miss out, with the technical staff opting to rest them as part of a rotation policy amid a run of consecutive fixtures.
Before kick-off, Postecoglou must trim one player from the final list to meet the maximum permitted in the matchday squad. The choice is expected to come down to Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, Saad Haqawi and Rakan Al-Ghamdi.
Between the posts sit Brazil's Bento Matheus and Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, with defenders Nawaf Boushal, Salem Al-Najdi, Awad Aman, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Inigo Martinez and Nader Al-Sharari also included.
In midfield, Postecoglou called up Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sami Al-Naji, Ali Al-Hassan, Abdulmalik Al-Jaber and Angelo Gabriel. The attacking options run to Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ayman Yahya, Rakan Al-Ghamdi and Saad Haqawi.
Al-Nassr seek a fresh start with Ronaldo
Ronaldo returns at an important time. Al-Nassr have started the season strongly, beating Al-Fateh three goals to nil in the first round of the Roshn League before following it up in the King's Cup with a 4-1 win over Al-Diriyah to reach the round of 16.
His presence hands Postecoglou an extra attacking option against Al-Riyadh, alongside Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane. That raises the ceiling of expectations for how Al-Nassr's front line will shape up in the second round, and makes the Portuguese captain's return one of the biggest headlines of the match.