Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr suffer blow ahead of Al Kholood clash as Samu Costa must serve one-game ban

Cristiano Ronaldo led Al Nassr to a 3-1 victory over Al Faisaly, scoring the team’s second goal to extend his career tally to 982. Despite the win, the Saudi side suffered a setback that will be felt in their next Saudi Pro League match.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will be without midfielder Samu Costa for the league clash against Al Kholood, as the Portuguese player has been suspended for accumulating yellow cards.

Costa picked up his fourth booking of the season in the win over Al Faisaly, which triggers an automatic one-match ban. His previous yellow cards came in the league games against Al Ittihad, Al Khaleej and Neom.

The midfielder has been a regular presence in the team this season, making nine league appearances, eight of them as a starter, and scoring three goals. He was left out of the squad for the trip to Al Riyadh in August for squad management reasons.

Who could replace Costa in Al Nassr’s midfield?

Costa has formed a midfield partnership with Abdullah Al-Khaibari in recent matches, so Ange Postecoglou will have to find a new partner for the Al Kholood clash. One option is Angelo, who started alongside the pair in the 1-0 win over Neom and came off the bench against Al Faisaly.

The Brazilian would give the team a more attacking profile, as he usually operates from midfield toward the opposing goal. Playing him in Costa’s place would add more creativity and forward movement, though it could come at the cost of some of the balance Costa provides.

If Postecoglou prefers to keep a similar profile to Costa’s, he could instead turn to Sami Al-Najei and Hayder Abdulkareem, two midfielders who were among the substitutes against Al Faisaly. Costa will remain available for Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite match against Al-Wasl on Oct. 26, as his ban only covers the next league fixture.