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 choice comes on the eve of a match that could help keep Al-Hilal in control at the top of the Roshn League race.
Al-Hilal host Al-Fateh tomorrow, Saturday, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh in the twelfth round of the Roshn League, and Inzaghi made clear that the points matter as much as the selection call. He said Al-Hilal will try to win to stay on top, while also describing Al-Fateh as an organised side that deserves respect. The match has taken on extra weight because Al-Hilal sit third in the Saudi League on 27 points, one point behind Al-Qadsiah and one point behind Al-Nassr, even though both of those rivals have played more games.
The injury picture is still shaping the team around the winger decision. Inzaghi said the readiness of Mohamed Mohzari, Sergej Savic and Ruben Neves will be determined after training, adding that Mohzari and Savic took part in yesterday’s session and that Neves showed progress in his readiness. Gabriel Martinelli remains out after picking up his injury in last Friday’s 3-2 win over Al-Qadsiah in the eleventh round, which is why the next training session matters so much for the lineup.
That uncertainty sits beside a broader concern about how Al-Hilal are managing the details of their game. Inzaghi said the squad wants to improve on set-pieces, and he framed the meeting with Al-Fateh as one of those matches that demands concentration from the first whistle. Al-Fateh arrive in sixteenth place on 6 points, with one win, three draws and seven losses, so the table suggests Al-Hilal should have the edge. The issue is whether they can turn that edge into a complete performance while still waiting on the last answers from training.
Inzaghi has already set the terms: the starting winger will be chosen after the session, and the readiness of three more players will be judged at the same time. For Al-Hilal, that means the final shape of Saturday’s team will be decided only hours before a match they need to win.
