Al Nassr has decided to cancel two anticipated friendly matches in China this week after a muscular injury sidelined star player Cristiano Ronaldo, rendering him unable to participate.

The Saudi Pro League side had initially planned to face Shanghai Shenhua on Wednesday and Zhejiang on Sunday. Despite thousands of tickets already sold and local fans eagerly anticipating the chance to see the 38-year-old Ronaldo in action, the unexpected injury prompted Al Nassr to scrap the tour. However, the club expressed the intention to return to China at a later date once the former Real Madrid forward has fully recovered.

In an official statement issued on Tuesday, the club expressed regret, stating: “We are sad to announce that, unfortunately, and for reasons beyond Al Nassr’s control, the event comprised of two matches scheduled on the 24th and 28th of January has been postponed to a date to be defined.

“We came here in Shenzhen with a lot of respect for Chinese football fans and specifically for the fans of Ronaldo. Taking this into consideration, in addition to the tight relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and China, we, Al Nassr, are willing to complete our training camp as planned in Shenzhen, a city that has warmly welcomed us and shown so much love for us and our Captain.”