The court denies Al-Ahli the services of Ivan Toney against Al-Shabab: Pusic picks his replacement

A hearing at England's Southwark Crown Court has robbed Saudi club Al-Ahli of English striker Ivan Toney for the mini clasico against Al-Shabab in the Roshn League.

Al-Ahli visit Al-Shabab today, Friday, at the SHG Arena in the Saudi capital Riyadh, in the twelfth round of the Roshn League.

Toney was missing from the Al-Ahli starting line-up, the result of the trial he faced at England's Southwark Crown Court yesterday, Thursday, on a charge of assaulting a person by battery.

Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah" report that Toney simply ran out of time to make the Al-Shabab game after the trial. He will instead link up with the squad in Qatar for Monday's clash with Al-Sadd in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Dutchman Marino Pusic, Al-Ahli's head coach, turned to Firas Al-Buraikan as his main striker to cover for the absent Englishman, with support from Portugal's Francisco Trincao and Brazil's Matheus Goncalves.

Fellow Brazilian winger Wenderson Galeno found himself alongside the coach on the substitutes' bench, despite shaking off the injury that had sidelined him for the past four matches.

Pusic also left Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy out of the squad, even though he travelled with the team to Riyadh, sticking with Saudi keeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi between the posts.

Al-Ahli go into the match sixth in the Saudi League on 21 points from 7 wins and 3 defeats. Al-Shabab sit twelfth on 11 points.

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

Goalkeeper: Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi

Defence: Mohammed Abdulrahman - Roger Ibanez - Rayan Hamed - Saad Balobaid

Midfield: Valentin Atangana - Artem Bondarenko - Ziyad Al-Johani

Attack: Francisco Trincao - Firas Al-Buraikan - Saleh Abu Al-Shamat