Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr have taken action to strengthen one of their most sensitive positions. The injury to goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi has left the Saudi club with an unexpected hole in their squad, and the team have moved quickly to cover it.
Al Nassr announced that 20-year-old Abdulhadi Al-Alwan will serve as the team’s backup goalkeeper following the confirmed absence of Nawaf Al-Aqidi, who is expected to be out for at least two months. The young goalkeeper joins the first team’s goalkeeping group to provide cover while Al-Aqidi recovers.
Al-Alwan arrived from Al Fateh’s under-21 side on loan until the end of the current season, in a deal that gives Al Nassr priority to buy his contract before the campaign ends.
The signing was initially intended to strengthen Al Nassr’s under-21 squad, but the agreement also allowed the club to consider using him with the first team this season.
Al-Aqidi was injured in Saudi Arabia’s opening match of the Arabian Gulf Cup against Kuwait, a 1-0 win, and was ruled out of the national team’s squad after medical tests. Al Nassr confirmed that Al-Aqidi will undergo elbow surgery in London, a decision that makes it highly likely he will miss the Asian Cup, which begins in early 2027.
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Al Nassr face a demanding schedule with Nawaf Al-Aqidi sidelined
Al Nassr will have to navigate a demanding stretch of the season without one of their goalkeepers, and the calendar leaves little room to adapt. The club still has 26 matches left in the Saudi Pro League, where they sit third with 19 points, three behind leaders Al Qadsiah, who have 22 points and one more game played, and two behind second-placed Al Hilal.
In the AFC Champions League Elite, Al Nassr are eighth in the West table with three points from two matches. That position would put them in the last qualifying place for the knockout stage, with six group-stage matches still to play.
They are also alive in the King’s Cup, where they have reached the Round of 16 and will face Al Kholood on Dec. 1. Bento remains the first-choice goalkeeper, but with the team competing on three fronts, having a reliable backup in goal is essential, which is where Al-Alwan comes in.
