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Al-Nassr fans are delighted after Anderson Talisca wasn't named in the starting XI alongside Cristiano Ronaldo to face Al-Hazm in the Saudi Pro League later today (September 2).
Al-Nassr have had a mixed start to their 2023-24 Saudi Pro League campaign. They lost their opening two games before bouncing back in true fashion, dispatching Al-Fateh 5-0 and Al-Shabab 4-0. They are currently sixth in the table with six points.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr will aim to carry their momentum against 17th-placed Al-Hazm at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Luis Castro has named a strong starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Nawaf Alaqidi starts in goal. Ghislain Konan, Aymeric Laporte, Mohammed Al-Fatil and Sultan Al-Ghannam make up the defense.
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The Al-Nassr midfield consists of Marcelo Brozovic, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Sadio Mane, Otavio and Abdulrahman Ghareeb. Cristiano Ronaldo is the team's forward, while Anderson Talisca has failed to make the matchday squad.
Despite scoring two goals from two appearances this season, fans are happy that the Brazilian isn't starting alongside Ronaldo. One fan wrote:
"Talisca off??? Easy to win 💪"
The Knights of Najd will be banking on Cristiano Ronaldo to continue his rich vein of form against Al-Hazm. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has had a stellar start to this season, scoring five goals and providing three assists in four appearances across all competitions. He also helped the Riyadh-based outfit win the Arab Club Champions Cup during pre-season.
Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Anderson Talisca addresses Al-Nassr exit rumors
Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Anderson Talisca recently posted a defiant statement on X (formerly Twitter), rubbishing claims he could potentially leave Al-Nassr this summer.
The 29-year-old has plied his trade for the Knights of Najd since the 2020-21 season, scoring 45 goals and providing six assists in 62 appearances across all competitions. He was also the club's top scorer over Ronaldo last season, netting 21 times in 27 appearances.
However, rumors were circulating that Al-Nassr was considering terminating his contract due to only five foreign players being allowed to be in the squad for the AFC Champions League.
It was thought that the club would name Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, Alex Telles and Marcelo Brozovic, with even Aymeric Laporte and Otavio having a good shout.
Talisca posted (via GOAL):
"Al Nassr fans, you who love this club, stop supporting it; fake news. I renewed until 2026, there's no reason for me to leave the club. I'm not negotiating with anyone, the club has no intention of leaving me because there's no reason, And the numbers don't lie. I'm happy here, I don't want to go anywhere. I have a beautiful history with this club."
He added:
"When I arrived at the club, I went through all the difficulties with this club, don't forget it either. I'm going nowhere. I have no intention of leaving here, and I am happy in this country with my family! !! We follow together. I love you. Let's focus on supporting our team tomorrow at the stadium that matters most."
Talisca helped fire Al-Nassr to the AFC Champions League by scoring a brace in their 4-2 win over Shabab Al-Ahli in the qualifier. Given his history with the club, it would be harsh for him to be excluded from the final squad.
