Al-Nassr receive massive blow as two of Cristiano Ronaldo's teammates suffer injury scares; set to undergo medical tests - Reports
According to @9NFCBALL (via X), Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr teammates, Marcelo Brozovic and Ali Lajami, are set to undergo medical tests after picking up injuries during the recent international break.
Brozovic was able to complete the full 90 minutes for Croatia in their 1-0 loss against Turkiye (October 12), and 2-1 defeat against Wales on October 15. However, he picked up an unspecified knock following the Wales game and is reportedly set to undergo a test to determine the severity of the issue.
Fortunately, for Al-Nassr fans, as per journalist Ali Al-Harbi, the 30-year-old's injury isn't deemed to be too serious and he could feature alongside Cristiano Ronaldo against Damac on October 21.
Brozovic has been integral in Al-Nassr's midfield since joining the club this summer from Inter Milan, scoring one goal and providing three assists in 11 appearances.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia international Ali Lajami had to be substituted at half-time during their 3-1 loss against Mali on October 17 after picking up a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old centre-back is facing an extended spell on the sidelines, as per @TheNassrZone.
This would be a big blow for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. Lajami had made seven appearances across all competitions this season, forging a decent partnership with Aymeric Laporte in defense.
"Ronaldo will stop when he wants to stop" - Dimitar Berbatov gives his verdict on when Cristiano Ronaldo may retire
Manchester United legend Dimitar Berbatov reckons former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo can keep playing at the highest level for another two to three years.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been in exceptional form this season for Al-Nassr, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists in 11 appearances across all competitions. Moreover, he has also found the back of the net nine times in seven appearances for Portugal during the 2024 UEFA Euro qualifiers.
Cristiano Ronaldo also recently overtook Erling Haaland to become the top scorer for club and country in 2023 with 40 goals.
Berbatov told Betfair (via GOAL):
"Ronaldo will stop when he wants to stop. When you look after yourself the way he has, have the team around you that he does, the chances of playing football for longer than expected gets bigger."
"In Cristiano's case, I think he has the chance to play for another two or three years. People will say that he's playing in a slower league that's not as good as the Premier League but it doesn't matter."
He added:
"He's still proving that he's going strong, especially recently with his performances and goals for Portugal. He’s helped Portugal qualify for Euro 2024, and one day his last tournament will come, of course, but let's not think about that yet."
"Let's just leave him be and I'm sure he'll surprise us with another decision soon enough. At the moment, Cristiano is going strong so we need to enjoy watching him play until he does decide that enough is enough."
It has been reported that Cristiano Ronaldo plans on playing for Al-Nassr until the beginning of 2027. This could mean he features in the 2026 FIFA World Cup before retiring at the age of 41.