El Nesyri is not alone: Al-Ittihad surprise Al-Qadsiah in Diaby's absence

Al-Nassr's Tigers look for their first win in the Roshn League

Al-Ittihad manager Jens Wissing sprang a surprise on his Al-Qadsiah counterpart in the two sides' Saudi Roshn League fixture.

Al-Ittihad travel to face Al-Qadsiah today, Friday, at the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, in the second round of the Roshn League.

The German opted for a strike duo against Al-Qadsiah for the first time this season, pairing Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri with Nigeria's George Ilenikhena.

Backing up that front two are Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn and Algerian playmaker Houssem Aouar.

French winger Moussa Diaby misses out for Al-Ittihad for the second match running, with reports linking him to a move to Germany's Bayer Leverkusen during the current summer transfer window.

Elsewhere, Wissing handed a starting midfield role to Rakan Al-Kaabi, the new arrival from Al-Fayha, alongside Senegal's Dion Lopy, with Farha Al-Shamrani kept on the substitutes' bench.

At the back, the German coach stuck with Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simic at right-back to cover for the absent Muhannad Al-Shanqiti, leaving Ahmed Al-Julaidan on the bench.

Simic lines up alongside left-back Fares Abdi and the centre-back pairing of Hassan Kadesh and Cameroon's Stephane Kilser. Portuguese defender Danilo Pereira misses out after his sending-off in the opening match against Al-Kholood.

Al-Ittihad go into the match in ninth place with a single point from the 1-1 draw with Al-Kholood. Al-Qadsiah sit in fifth on 3 points, having beaten Al-Shabab 3-1 in the first round.

Al-Ittihad's line-up was as follows:

Goalkeeper: Predrag Rajkovic

Defence: Jan-Carlo Simic - Stephane Kilser - Hassan Kadesh - Fares Abdi

Midfield: Rakan Al-Kaabi - Dion Lopy - Houssem Aouar

Attack: George Ilenikhena - Youssef En-Nesyri - Steven Bergwijn