Cristiano Ronaldo’s week got a little brighter for the SPL title race—at least, on the training ground. Al Nassr found their rhythm, and there’s now another familiar face back in the mix too: star defender Iñigo Martinez.
Sunday was a breather after Saturday’s win against Al Okhdood, and on Monday, Martinez rejoined group training. The Spanish defender had been out for almost one month because of a tear in his hamstring, so seeing him back around the teammates felt like the kind of “okay, we’re still building” moment coaches like.
Now, he’s confirmed as available for Al Nassr’s next game. Matchday 29 is coming up fast: Ronaldo and the team will host Al Ettifaq on Wednesday, April 15th, aiming to keep their historic winning streak of 14 wins going. That streak matters because the Saudi Pro League doesn’t really forgive pauses—one wobble, and everything gets louder.
Because of his injury, Martinez missed the last two games against Al Najma and Al Okhdood. Those teams are sitting at rock bottom of the table, so the pressure to “get it done” in those fixtures was always higher. Still, with more challenging duels on the horizon, his return looks like it could be more than just a nice-to-have. For the upcoming game, head coach Jorge Jesus will have the last word on his presence, and that detail alone—“last word”—sounds like someone is still weighing fitness carefully.
In a 5-2 win against Al Najma, Jesus already pointed out what the team had been lacking defensively. “We were not good defensively today, especially at the back line. We missed Martínez, and that affected our defensive balance,” he said in the post match press conference, highlighting his importance on the team.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s update is a bit different. With Martinez back, Ronaldo still wasn’t thrown fully into everything right away—he took part in the recovery routine and exercises alongside the players who started the last game against Al Okhdood. The focus and normal training sessions were more centered on non-starting players. Since recovering from his hamstring injury, Ronaldo has been subbed off in the 2 games he’s performed, though his form remains intact with three goals scored in that span.
With six games left in the Saudi Pro League, Al Nassr sits at the top with 73 points. At this stage, it’s not just about winning—it’s also about managing minutes, keeping bodies fresh, and not letting tiny fitness issues become bigger problems later. And yeah, there’s another deadline hanging in the background too: the World Cup in less than two months. The whole situation feels like a careful balancing act—one part title race, one part long-term readiness. Even at the training ground, you can practically hear the urgency in the shouts, like the sound of cones and boots moving a little faster than usual, even when nobody says it out loud.
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