"Nacho at the forefront": good news keeps coming for Al-Qadsiah before the Al-Nassr clash
Al-Qadsiah have received good news ahead of a series of important matches following the end of the current international break, most notably against Al-Nassr in the Roshn Saudi Pro League.
Al-Hilal top the table with 30 points from 11 matches, followed by Al-Qadsiah on 28 points from 12 fixtures. Al-Nassr sit third on the same tally as Al-Qadsiah but having played 11 games.
The newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat" reports that Al-Qadsiah are waiting on the return of several stars after the current break. These are the players who have missed recent rounds, and their absence hurt the side in a number of matches.
Nacho Hernández: a defensive force
Top of that list stands the veteran Spanish defender Nacho Hernández. His absence dented the team's defensive standard in several important matches, none more so than against Al-Hilal in the battle for top spot, a game Al-Qadsiah lost on home soil 3-2.
They missed his presence as an experienced leader on the pitch too. Irish coach Brendan Rodgers pointed to exactly that when Asharq Al-Awsat asked him about the impact of the defender's absence in the Al-Hilal match, a game littered with clear defensive errors that shaped the defeat.
Alongside Nacho and his recovery from injury are the Uruguayan Nahitan Nández and the defender Jihad Zikri, whose injury left him out of the first Saudi national team squad currently holding a training camp in Qatar.
Difficult matches lie in wait after the upcoming break. With fixtures piling up as the Saudi Pro League coincides with the AFC Champions League Elite, Al-Qadsiah need these names back for both their domestic and continental campaigns.
The Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr clash
The upcoming encounter with Al-Nassr on 4 December could be the match their supporters are anticipating most, a chance to break the points tie with Al-Nassr or even climb back up the standings. Both sides have several fixtures to navigate first.
A quick glance at the head-to-head since Al-Qadsiah returned to the Pro League tells its own story. They are the only side to have beaten Al-Nassr in all four league meetings over the past two seasons, whether in Riyadh or Dammam. That record offers both clear superiority and a morale boost the team wants to protect.
Nacho looks set to return against Al-Feiha on 27 November, the match before the Al-Nassr fixture in the league. Nández's comeback, by contrast, appears likely to be slightly delayed.
Important commitments for Al-Qadsiah
Al-Qadsiah face a season on several fronts. They are competing in the league, the AFC Champions League Elite, the Saudi Super Cup in Kuwait from 18 December and the King's Cup, making them the only Eastern Province side chasing all four competitions.
On the injury front, defender Walid Al-Ahmad is likely to rejoin group training next December. He has spent nearly eight months in treatment for the cruciate ligament injury suffered against Al-Ahli in mid-March, during last season's league campaign.
