Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr dealt blow as star player picks up injury in SPL clash against Al-Kholood
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr dealt a huge blow as ace defender Aymeric Laporte left the field with a leg injury during the league clash against Al-Kholood. The incident occurred on October 25 at the Al-Hazem Club Stadium.
Aymeric Laporte has been one of the star performers for the Knights of Najd this season. He's recorded three goals in 12 games across all competitions as a center-back. The Spaniard also scored the match-winning goal in Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal FC on October 22 at the Al-Rashid Stadium.
In the 81st minute, a leaping Cristiano Ronaldo met Marcelo Brozovic's corner. Although the initial header was saved, Laporte made sure to send the rebound home. It was the third consecutive match in which Laporte scored for club and country.
The Spaniard continued his Midas touch against Al-Kholood on Friday, scoring in the 16th minute to equalize for his side. A corner kick was flicked towards Laporte at the far post by Ali Lajami and the Spanish defender headed the ball into Marcelo Grohe's net.
With 12 minutes of regulation time left before the halftime whistle, Laporte went down clutching his feet without any challenge. After getting some on-field medical attention, he was replaced by Mohammed Al-Fatil in the 35th minute.
The club hasn't provided an official statement regarding the injury at the time of writing. We will have to wait for the official statement before deciding the extent of the injury and the duration of recovery.
Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Real Madrid eyeing a move for Al-Nassr's Aymeric Laporte
Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Aymeric Laporte. According to a Diario AS report (via Al Nassr Zone on X), Los Blancos see Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate as a fix to their defensive injury crisis.
Carlo Ancelotti's side are currently facing a crisis at the back with stars like David Alaba, Thibaut Courtois, and Dani Carvajal sidelined with injuries. The absence of Alaba means Real Madrid are left with just three natural center-backs - Antonio Rudiger, Jesus Vallejo, and Eder Militao.
Al-Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Aymeric Laporte from Manchester City in 2023 for a reported fee of €27.50 million (via Transfermarkt). He has made 51 appearances for Al-Nassr so far, scoring seven goals and creating one more.
However, the Spaniard's main prowess lies in his ball recovery and distribution skills from the backline. This season, Laporte has boasted a passing accuracy of 94% and an impressive average of five ball recoveries per game. He also has a success rate of 80% in successful ground duels this season.
(All stats are taken from Sofascore on October 25. It is important to note that these sites may change data as per their prerogative.)
Laporte is still only 30 years old and was regarded as one of the best defenders on the planet during his prime at Manchester City. Cristiano Ronaldo's current teammate made 180 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, winning 13 trophies at the Etihad.