Australian Arthur Poppas, Al-Ettifaq's coach, has prepared a special rehabilitation program for midfielder Khaled Al-Ghannam after he joined the preparatory camp in Spain, according to sources close to Al-Riyadiah. Al-Ghannam missed the first phase of preparations, as well as the start of the current camp in Spain for the new season, due to a special leave after his participation with the Saudi national team in the 2026 World Cup. According to the same sources, the Australian coach aims through this step to gradually integrate Al-Ghannam into group training in line with his physical and technical readiness. On the field, Al-Ettifaq intensified its preparations with morning and evening sessions on Tuesday. Poppas focused the morning session on executing several tactical patterns, before dividing the players into four groups to apply the technical ideas he aims to instill on the pitch, with emphasis on speed of ball movement, positioning, and transitions between defense and attack. He concluded it with a recreational competition in the game 'Tik Ball,' which involves exchanging the ball using feet and head over a special table. As for the evening training, it varied between physical and technical aspects.