Al-Ahli head coach Marino Pusic has decided to recall goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to the starting line-up for Saturday’s Saudi Pro League meeting with Abha, according to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah.
The match is expected to mark Mendy’s first appearance for Al-Ahli this season after the Senegal international missed the club’s opening two fixtures because of a long-term injury.
Al-Ahli began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Al-Diriyah in the opening round of the Saudi Pro League. They then defeated Al-Anwar 2-1 in the round of 32 of the King’s Cup, with Mendy absent from both matches.
Al-Ahli will host Abha at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday in the second round of the league. Abha were promoted to the Saudi Pro League recently and will be looking to build on their return to the top flight.
Reports had suggested that Mendy was fit enough to feature in Monday’s King’s Cup match against Al-Anwar. However, Al-Riyadiyah said Pusic preferred to give the goalkeeper additional time to recover fully rather than risk bringing him back immediately.
The 34-year-old sustained a knee sprain while playing for Senegal against Norway in the second round of the group stage at the 2026 World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He has been sidelined since that injury.
Mendy is currently Al-Ahli’s captain and has been with the Jeddah-based club since the summer of 2023, when he joined from Chelsea.
Since moving to Saudi Arabia, the goalkeeper has helped Al-Ahli win the AFC Champions League Elite twice as well as the Saudi Super Cup. His return would provide Pusic with an experienced presence behind a defence that has started the new campaign with victories in both domestic competitions.
Mendy joined Al-Ahli after four seasons at Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, and had previously established himself as Senegal’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Pusic, who is leading Al-Ahli, appears to have opted for a cautious approach to the player’s recovery. Rather than selecting Mendy for the cup fixture immediately after his return to fitness, the coach is expected to hand him his first competitive appearance of the new season against Abha.
The decision means Al-Ahli’s captain could return in front of a home crowd at Alinma Stadium as the club seek a second consecutive league win.
