Al Ittihad will field two different line-ups in back-to-back friendlies against Real Mallorca and Malaga on Thursday as Jens Wissing completes the Saudi club’s pre-season camp in Spain.
The Jeddah side, who are based in Marbella, will face La Liga club Real Mallorca at midday before taking on Malaga later the same evening in what will be their final warm-up matches on European soil.
According to Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, head coach Wissing intends to use mainly reserve players against Real Mallorca, keeping his first-choice XI fresh for the evening encounter with Malaga.
Aouar set for first run-out of camp
Algeria international Houssem Aouar is expected to be involved in one of the two fixtures after linking up with the squad at their Spanish camp in recent days.
The midfielder had been granted an extended break following his participation at the 2026 World Cup and has now rejoined Wissing’s group as preparations intensify for the new season.
Full-back Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti and winger George Elinickenah are also in line to feature on Thursday, having recovered from injuries that ruled them out of the most recent friendly against Las Palmas.
Their return boosts Wissing’s options as he looks to share minutes across the squad, with the coaching staff using the double-header format to assess fitness levels and tactical combinations ahead of competitive action.
Positive pre-season results in Spain
Al Ittihad have already played two pre-season matches during their Marbella camp, which began in mid-July.
They opened with a 3-2 victory over South African side Orlando Pirates, before following up with a 2-1 win against Spanish club Las Palmas.
Those results mean the Saudi Pro League team head into Thursday’s twin fixtures with a perfect record from their Spanish friendlies so far, as Wissing looks to maintain momentum while carefully managing workloads.
Echoes of rivals Al Ahli’s schedule
Al Ittihad’s decision to stage two friendlies on the same day mirrors the approach taken this week by city rivals and traditional adversaries Al Ahli.
On Tuesday, Al Ahli also played a pair of warm-up matches within a few hours during their training camp in Austria.
They first sent out a second-string line-up in a 2-0 defeat by Portuguese side Portimonense, before their regular starters drew 1-1 with Fulham later in the day.
That schedule appears to have influenced Al Ittihad’s planning in Spain, with both Jeddah clubs using condensed friendly programmes to give competitive minutes to as many players as possible before the new campaign begins.
