As part of intensive preparations to maintain their lead and push towards the Roshan Professional League title, Al-Hilal's Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi , has finalized his tactical choices regarding the foreign players he will field in the upcoming match against Al-Akhdoud. This match comes at a crucial stage of the competition, where dropping any points is unacceptable given the fierce competition at the top of the table.

Al-Hilal's official foreign player list for the Al-Akhdoud match

The squad selected by Inzaghi featured the team's attacking force, spearheaded by French star Karim Benzema , bolstering the team's offensive prowess. The full list of foreign players called up for the match is as follows:

• Goalkeeper: Moroccan giant Yassine Bounou.
• Defense line: Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, and Frenchman Theo Hernandez.
• Midfield: Simon Poiri, Portuguese Ruben Neves, and Serbian Sergej Savic.
• The attacking line: Brazilian Malcom, and Frenchman Karim Benzema.

Match date and competition context

Al-Hilal is scheduled to be a formidable guest against Al-Akhdoud at 8:30 PM tomorrow, Thursday, in the 21st round of the Roshan League. This match is of paramount importance given the two teams' positions in the standings. Al-Hilal enters the match at the top of the table with 47 points, but the gap is very small with their closest rival and traditional adversary, Al-Nassr, who have 46 points. This means that any slip-up could cost Al-Hilal their first-place position.

The trough's position and subsidence calculations

On the other side of the pitch, Al-Akhdoud is facing dire circumstances, currently sitting in 17th place (second to last) in the standings with only 10 points. This match represents a lifeline for the southern team, who are desperately seeking a major upset and a crucial victory in their fight to avoid relegation. Coach Inzaghi is well aware of this, as matches between top teams and bottom-ranked sides are often characterized by tactical challenges and tight defensive formations, demanding exceptional individual and collective solutions.

Technical importance and integration of ranks

Al-Hilal fans are placing high hopes on the squad assembled by Simone Inzaghi, especially with the presence of world-class players like Karim Benzema and Theo Hernandez alongside key players such as Neves and Savic. This synergy between defensive solidity, spearheaded by Koulibaly and Bono, and attacking prowess, spearheaded by Benzema and Malcom, positions Al-Hilal as the favorite not only to win this match but also to advance towards securing the domestic title, given the rising level of the Saudi league and its attraction of some of the brightest stars in world football.

The management of Al-Hilal Saudi Club has settled the controversy surrounding the future of the young Turkish defender, Yusuf Akçeşek, as the club's officials informed the player of a final decision to keep him within the ranks of the first football team, and not to allow him to leave during the current winter transfer window, in response to the news that linked his name to leaving the club recently.

Reliable journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu revealed details of this decision via his official social media account, confirming that Al-Hilal's management officially informed Yusuf Akcisik that he would not be leaving the club during the winter transfer window. The same source indicated that the Turkish player was dissatisfied with the coaching staff's decision to exclude him from the squad for the upcoming match against Al-Akhdoud, which had fueled speculation about his future before the management intervened to resolve the matter.

Al-Hilal's insistence on retaining the young defender stems from a strategic vision aimed at maintaining squad depth, especially as the team competes on multiple fronts, most notably the AFC Champions League. The club's management understands the importance of having readily available replacements in defense to cope with the expected fixture congestion in the second half of the season, as Al-Hilal strives to secure the continental title. Therefore, releasing any foreign player currently on the roster would be a risky move.

On the domestic front, Al-Hilal's first football team continues its intensive preparations to face Al-Akhdoud in the 21st round of the Saudi Professional League. The match is scheduled to take place at Prince Hathloul bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, where Al-Hilal aims to extend its winning streak and solidify its lead in the standings, in what has been an exceptional season for the team under the leadership of its Portuguese coach, Jorge Jesus.

It is worth noting that Youssef Akchichik joined Al-Hilal as one of the young players that the club is counting on for the future, taking advantage of the Saudi Federation regulations that allow the signing of foreign players born in 2003 and above, to be a support for the first team and a long-term investment for the capital club.

International media reports have revealed serious moves by the management of Saudi club Al-Ittihad to make Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's top scorer, a primary and strategic target for the upcoming summer transfer window. This move comes as Al-Ittihad seeks to fill the significant void left by the departure of French star Karim Benzema, who joined their arch-rivals Al-Hilal during the last winter transfer window.

Details of Al-Ittihad's interest in signing Mohamed Salah

The Portuguese newspaper A Bola reported on Wednesday that Al-Ittihad officials are determined to make Mohamed Salah the cornerstone of their rebuilding project starting next season. The club's management views signing Salah not merely as a technical acquisition to replace Karim Benzema, but as a massive marketing and public relations investment given the player's immense popularity in the Arab world and globally.

The current state of the union and the need for change

Al-Ittihad is experiencing a difficult season in terms of results, currently sitting in sixth place in the Saudi Professional League standings with 34 points – a position unbecoming of the reigning champions and their large fan base. This decline, coupled with significant changes to the squad, most notably the termination of Karim Benzema's contract and his departure to Al-Hilal, has necessitated the club considering high-profile signings to return the team to championship contention and fierce competition both domestically and continentally.

Mohamed Salah and the Saudi League: A dream renewed

This isn't the first time Mohamed Salah's name has been linked to a move to the Saudi League, specifically to Al-Ittihad. In the past, there have been strong attempts to sign the player, but Liverpool's insistence on keeping their star player prevented the deal from going through. With the contracts of some stars nearing their end and the Kingdom's desire to continue attracting the world's elite players as part of its ambitious sports project, the opportunity seems more favorable next summer to convince the Egyptian star to embark on a new experience in Saudi football, potentially becoming the league's next icon alongside the existing global stars.

Al-Ittihad fans are anticipating a hot summer, hoping that the administration will succeed in finalizing the Salah deal, so that he can be the new leader of the project to return to the top, especially in light of the strong competition that Saudi football is currently witnessing.