Simone Inzaghi will wait until after today’s training before deciding whether Salem Al-Dawsari or Crysencio Summerville starts for Al-Hilal against Al-Fateh. The call comes only hours before Saturday’s Roshn League match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, where Al-Hilal are trying to protect their place at the top.
That is the immediate reason the selection question is drawing attention. Inzaghi said the match matters, that Al-Fateh are an organised side they respect, and that Al-Hilal want a strong performance in front of their supporters. He also linked the final choice on the wing to the absence of Gabriel Martinelli, who was injured during last Friday’s 3-2 win over Al-Qadsiah.
The manager’s comments leave the attack open until the last session is finished. Salem and Summerville are the two options for the same role, and the decision is tied directly to how the squad looks after training rather than to any settled plan. That makes this more than a routine team selection note: it is the final piece of an important home match for a side that cannot afford to lose rhythm in the Saudi League.
There is also a wider fitness issue behind the wing debate. Inzaghi said the readiness of Mohamed Mohzari, Sergej Savic and Ruben Neves will be determined after today’s training. Mohzari and Savic took part in yesterday’s session, and Neves showed progress, but all three missed Al-Hilal’s last outing against Al-Shamal in the AFC Champions League Elite, which ended in a 3-1 loss. For a team that has been asked to stay on top while juggling league and continental demands, the uncertainty is a problem in itself.
The table adds to the stakes. Al-Hilal sit third on 27 points, one behind Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr, while Al-Fateh are 16th on 6 points. Even so, Inzaghi did not frame the match as straightforward. He said every game has its own importance and difficulty, and that Al-Hilal are also working to improve their defending of set-pieces, a detail that matters against a team with little room to lose and plenty to gain from making the night messy.
Inzaghi’s last word was not about tactics but about the crowd. He called the supporters the team’s backbone and urged them to fill the stands, a reminder that the decision on Salem or Summerville is only part of the story. By the time Al-Hilal walk out on Saturday, the bigger answer should be clear: whether the manager trusts the winger returning from the injury squeeze, and whether the players just back in training are ready to help keep the chase at the top alive.
