Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of the matchday squad for their AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal.
Ronaldo did not travel to Tehran with the rest of his teammates for the first leg of the last-16 tie.
Jhon Durán, Sadio Mané, and Marcelo Brozović have all made the trip.
According to the DPA news agency, Al Nassr had written to the AFC requesting the match be moved to a neutral venue.
The Saudi Arabian club cited issues Ronaldo had previously faced in Tehran.
The AFC, however, refused to consider the request.
Speaking to reporters, Al Nassr manager Stefano Pioli provided an update on his star man: “He had a physical problem, but I wouldn’t say it was 100% a big problem. We preferred him not to be in the game.”
