Simone Inzaghi will take all 11 of Al Hilal’s foreign players to face Al Qadsiah on Friday, although Saudi Pro League regulations allow only eight of them to be included in the matchday squad.
Al Hilal will travel to Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam for the league leaders’ meeting with Al Qadsiah in the 11th round of the Roshn Saudi League.
The decision to bring the entire foreign contingent on the trip was reported by the Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiah. The squad is due to leave for Dammam by road on Thursday evening.
Inzaghi’s choice is linked to Al Hilal’s schedule after the match. Rather than returning from Dammam, the team will continue by road to Qatar as it prepares to face Al Shamal on Monday in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite.
Roshn Saudi League rules permit each club to name a maximum of eight foreign players in the squad for any individual match. Inzaghi will therefore have to select eight foreign players for the game against Al Qadsiah, with the remaining members of the group unavailable for that fixture.
The full group will, however, be available for the trip to Qatar. The AFC Champions League Elite does not impose a maximum limit on the number of foreign players a club can include.
According to Al Riyadiah, Inzaghi is also planning several changes to his starting line-up against Al Shamal. The Italian is expected to rotate his squad and give some key players a rest during the demanding run of fixtures.
Friday’s match is a meeting between the top two sides in the Saudi league. Al Hilal are second in the table with 24 points, one behind leaders Al Qadsiah, who have played one match more.
Al Hilal have also made a perfect start to their AFC Champions League Elite campaign, winning their opening two matches. They are third in the West Region standings with six points, behind Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Esteghlal Tehran of Iran on goal difference.
The regulations will prevent Inzaghi from using all 11 foreign players in Dammam, but taking the full group on the journey allows Al Hilal to remain together before the team travels on to Doha for Monday’s continental fixture.
