By order of Inzaghi: 20 days without matches at Al-Hilal
Supporters of Saudi club Al-Hilal must now endure 20 days without seeing their team play any matches, following the decision of Italian Simone Inzaghi, head coach of the first team.
Al-Hilal last played on 3 November, beating the UAE's Shabab Al-Ahli 2-0 in the fourth round of the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite.
They had been due to face Al-Ettifaq at the end of last week. But the Roshn League committee postponed the entire 13th round ahead of the current international break, following the postponement of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah" reports that Inzaghi has rejected the idea of any friendlies during the current international break, preferring a few drills in the daily training sessions that begin next Saturday at the Al-Majidiyah Sports Centre in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The Italian's call came down to the numbers. His squad is badly stretched, drained by national team call-ups and injuries alike.
Eight players from "the Leader" have joined the Saudi national team at its current camp in the Qatari capital, Doha: Mohammed Al-Owais, Mohammed Mahzari, Hassan Tambakti, Mutaib Al-Harbi, Ali Lajami, Mohammed Kanno, Nasser Al-Dawsari and Sultan Mandash.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has linked up with Morocco, defender Kalidou Koulibaly with Senegal and his counterpart Yusuf Akcicek with the Turkey youth team. Midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has gone to Serbia, Ruben Neves to Portugal, and winger Crysencio Summerville to the Netherlands.
Three more are sidelined through injury: captain Salem Al-Dawsari, Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli and French midfielder Simon Boabre.
Faced with that shortage, Inzaghi has turned to Al-Hilal's under-21 side, who play in the Joy Elite League, to plug the gaps left by the first team during the international break.
The under-21s have been middling this season. They sit sixth in the Joy Elite League with 17 points from five wins, two draws and a single defeat.
This marks the second time the Italian has called upon those youngsters this season, having done the same during the previous international break.
His decision leaves Al-Hilal without a game for 20 days. Their next outing comes against Uzbekistan's Navbahor on 23 November, away from home, in the fifth round of the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Al-Hilal sit second in the West group with 9 points from three wins and a single defeat, three points behind leaders Al-Ain of the UAE.
After that, they travel to face Al-Ettifaq at their stadium in Dammam on 28 November, in the 13th round of the Saudi Roshn League.
"The Leader" currently top the Saudi Roshn League with 30 points from 10 wins and one defeat, two points clear of Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr in second and third respectively.
