German coach Jens Visinger has left Nigerian forward George Ilenikhena out of Al-Ittihad’s squad for their Saudi Pro League opener, with Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri selected to lead the attack against Al-Kholood.
Al-Ittihad host Al-Kholood at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday, with the match bringing the first round of Saudi Pro League fixtures to a close.
Visinger named En-Nesyri as the team’s central striker, placing him between French winger Moussa Diaby and Netherlands forward Steven Bergwijn in the attacking line.
The decision means there is no place in the matchday squad for Ilenikhena, despite the Nigerian having appeared as a substitute in Al-Ittihad’s 4-1 victory over UAE club Al Jazira on Tuesday.
That match was played in the play-off round for the AFC Champions League Elite, making Saturday’s league fixture the second competitive match of the campaign for Visinger’s side.
Ilenikhena was not the only foreign player to miss out. Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simic was also omitted from the squad after starting the midweek win against Al Jazira.
Visinger instead brought Ahmed Al-Jalidan back into the right-back position. Al-Jalidan is set to operate alongside left-back Faris Abdi, while Danilo Pereira and Stefan Keller form the central defensive pairing.
The German coach kept the midfield unchanged from the Al Jazira match. Farhah Al-Shamrani, Dion Lopy and Houssem Aouar were again selected to start in the middle of the pitch.
The changes in defence and attack give En-Nesyri an immediate starting role following his arrival in the line-up, while Ilenikhena will watch from outside the squad after contributing from the bench in the previous match.
Al-Ittihad’s starting formation includes En-Nesyri up front, with Diaby and Bergwijn supporting him from the wide positions. Al-Jalidan, Abdi, Pereira and Keller make up the defensive unit, and Al-Shamrani, Lopy and Aouar are the nominated midfield trio.
The club’s match against Al-Kholood is being played at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah as part of the opening round of the Saudi Pro League. Visinger’s selections have therefore placed particular attention on En-Nesyri’s role in attack and on the omission of both Ilenikhena and Simic from the matchday group.
Al-Ittihad come into the fixture after their convincing win over Al Jazira, but Visinger has chosen to alter two areas of the team for the league opener. En-Nesyri replaces the need for a different central attacking option, while Al-Jalidan returns at right-back in place of Simic.
