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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr could be without midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari and forward Saad Haqawi when they take on Al-Hilal in the Riyadh derby on Friday, April 4. The two sides will clash at the Kingdom Arena in the Saudi Pro League.
The Knights of Najd will look to close the points gap between them and their local rivals. Al-Nassr are third in the standings with 51 points from 25 matches, while Al-Hilal sit right above them with 57 points.
As per NF1CWorld on X, Al-Nassr had all players participate in training ahead of the derby clash except Al-Khaibari and Haqawi. The reason for their absence was not mentioned.
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Al-Khaibari has not featured in Al-Nassr's last five league matches. The 28-year-old defensive midfielder last played for the side during their 3-2 win over Al-Ahli in February. He has made 25 appearances across competitions this season and is yet to register a goal contribution.
Haqawi, on the other hand, last played for the club in January. The 19-year-old striker has been more of a squad player this campaign, managing just four league appearances for which he has contributed a goal.
In their last league outing, Al-Nassr defeated Al-Kholood 3-1 at home. Cristiano Ronaldo was on the pitch for 61 minutes and scored a goal in the encounter, his 19th league strike for the season.
The Portuguese icon will look to add to his tally against a more difficult opponent in Al-Hilal on Friday. The two sides played out a 1-1 draw when they clashed earlier in the season last November.
Al-Nassr rivals reportedly wants to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for FIFA Club World Cup
According to a report by Fichajes.net, Al-Hilal are looking to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in a bid to strengthen their squad for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The Portuguese icon's contract with Al-Nassr is set to expire at the end of the summer and he has yet to pen a new deal.
Reports suggest that the Knights of Najd will extend Ronaldo's contract by a year. However, no official deal has been signed yet, meaning the 40-year-old could be a free agent by the summer.
Al-Hilal believes having Ronaldo in their ranks would bolster their chances of success at the Club World Cup. The restructured tournament will go down in the United States between June 14 and July 13.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in top form this campaign, netting 28 goals and providing four assists in 33 matches across competitions.
