"Without him I'm not watching this" - Al-Nassr fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo left out of squad for AFC Champions League clash

Fans have expressed their dismay on social media after Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Al-Nassr's squad for their AFC Champions League Elite clash with Persepolis. The two teams are billed to lock horns at the Azadi Sport Complex on Monday, February 17.

The Knights of Najd will travel to Iran for their last match in the league stage of the AFC Champions League. Ahead of the away encounter, the club revealed the squad list on their social media handles. Ronaldo was not named in the traveling squad.

Fans were disappointed to see the Portuguese icon omitted from the squad list to face Persepolis. One fan wrote they would not watch the match because of Roanldo's absence.

"Naah.. Without CR7 I am not watching this," the fan wrote.

A second fan questioned Cristiano Ronaldo's omission, claiming that they follow Al-Nassr because of the Portuguese icon.

"Don't forget we follow this club because of Ronaldo.. where is he???" the fan asked.

"Where is CR7?" another fan inquired.

"No Ronaldo no party," one fan commented.

"Lol without Ronaldo I don’t think I’ll follow this match," a fan said.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only notable omission from the squad list. Jhon Duran, who has been in top form for Al-Nassr since his move from Aston Villa in January, has also not been included in the list.

Al-Nassr has already qualified for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League. Hence, the manager has decided to rest Ronaldo in the dead-rubber encounter with Persepolis.

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How have Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr fared in the AFC Champions League this season?

Al-Nassr have been quite impressive in the AFC Champions League Elite. The Knights of Najd have recorded five wins, one loss, and a draw from seven games. They have accumulated 16 points and are third in the standings behind Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, who both have 19 points in first and second position respectively.

The side's only defeat came on match-day six against Qatar-based club Al-Sadd. Cristiano Ronaldo did not feature in the match as his side fell to a 1-2 home loss. The 40-year-old has been prolific for his side in the tournament, scoring six times in five outings.

He is joint-second on the AFC Champions League goalscorers chart. He is tied on the same number of goals with Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal) and Anderson Lopes (Yokohama F. Marinos). Gwangju FC winger Jasir Asani leads the chart with seven goals.