According to reports, following Al-Nassr’s defeat last week against Al-Qadisiyah and the loss of their title hopes in the current Saudi Pro League season, Stefano Pioli decided to exclude Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané from the squad for the upcoming match against Damac.

With five weeks remaining in the Saudi Pro League season, Pioli’s team, trailing league leaders Al-Ittihad by eight points, has no chance of winning the title. Additionally, Al-Nassr will host Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals next week, prompting Pioli to make a sensible decision regarding his two key forwards.

Newspaper Al-Youm claimed that Pioli intends to switch Al-Nassr’s formation from 4-4-2 to 3-4-3 in the absence of Ronaldo and Mané. As a result, Anderson Talisca will lead the attack, with Angelo Gabriel and Wessam Abou Ali operating as the left and right forwards, respectively.

It is worth noting that Ronaldo has scored 23 goals in 27 league matches this season, while Sadio Mané has contributed eight goals and nine assists in the same number of appearances.