It may be just a friendly game, but Paris Saint-Germain’s game against the Riyadh All-Star XI is making more headlines than usual for this kind of fixture. It’s not exactly a surprise, though, since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be facing each other. To watch it in the US, tune in on fuboTV (7-day free trial).
While PSG are expected to show up with a number of their most renowned stars, the Riyadh All Stars will be made up of Al Hilal and Al-Nassr players and coached by Argentine manager Marcelo Gallardo.
Ronaldo, unsurprisingly, will captain the team. However, many wonder why David Ospina, who is now teammates with the Portuguese star, will not be the Riyadh All-Star team goalkeeper.
Why is David Ospina not Riyadh All Star’s keeper vs. PSG
The reason is quite simple, David Ospina is not playing for the Riyadh All Stars against Paris Saint-Germain because he’s undergoing rehab from an elbow surgery. The Colombian keeper got injured on January 15 against Al Shabab and is expected to be out for at least six weeks.
That lengthy recovery, however, could prove costly. According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Al Nassr are considering removing Ospina from their roster in order to free a spot for a foreign player and thereby sign Keylor Navas.