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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr were recently handed a blow as Abdullah Al-Khaibari reportedly picked up an injury in the national team camp. The Saudi defensive midfielder joined The Knights of Najd from Al-Shadab in 2019 and has been one of the crucial players for the side in recent years.
This season, the 28-year-old has played 12 games in the Saudi Pro League, maintaining a passing accuracy of 93% per game. He has also shown his ability to break the attacking lines of the opposition, averaging 3.6 balls recovered per game in the league.
(The above statistics are taken from Sofascore on December 20 and are subject to change as per the website's discretion.)
The Saudi star has shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo 70 times across competitions but has yet to record a joint goal participation with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
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The X handle of the Saudi Arabia national team released a statement confirming Abdullah Al-Khaibari's injury on December 19. They wrote:
"The national team coach, Herve Renard, excluded the player Abdullah Al-Dhaibiri from the Green Camp in Riyadh. This came based on the medical report submitted by the national team’s medical staff, and his need for a treatment and rehabilitation program." (translated to English by Google).
At present, the Knights of Najd are going through a rough patch with only two wins in their last five games. They stand fourth on the Saudi Pro League table with 25 points from 13 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo addresses fans on social media after Al-Nassr's recent loss to Al-Ittihad
Cristiano Ronaldo shared a five-word message after Al-Nassr lost 2-1 to current league leaders Al-Ittihad on December 6. The match at King Abdullah Sports City was new manager Stefano Pioli's fourth loss in 17 games and pushed Al-Nassr 11 points behind Nadi Al-Sha'ab.
After a scoreless first half, Cristiano Ronaldo's former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema gave Al-Ittihad the lead in the 55th minute. A marauding run from the right wing by Muhannad Shanqeeti and a subsequent cross into the box was coolly slotted home by the Frenchman.
The lead didn't last long as Cristiano Ronaldo equalized two minutes later with the help of Angelo's inch-perfect cross. However, it turned out to be a mere consolation goal because of a brilliant left-footed strike by Steven Bergwijn in additional time (90'+1'). The Dutchman cut into the middle from the left and unleashed a right-footed shot to make it 2-1 for the league leaders.
After the game, Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to insist that the team would be back with more vigor.
"We will come back stronger," wrote Ronaldo.
Al-Nassr will face Al Akhdoud in their next Saudi Pro League game on January 9.
