Friday/Saturday, July 24, 2026

Jeddah - Al-Jazeera:

Al-Ittihad will play its second friendly match on Saturday evening as part of its current preparatory camp in Marbella, Spain, facing Spanish second-division side Las Palmas in preparation for the new season.

Al-Ittihad began its friendlies with a 3-2 win over South Africa's Orlando Pirates, with goals from Youssef En-Nesyri, Moussa Diaby, and George.

In the first match, the Al-Ittihad coach used two different lineups to assess the readiness of all players before the season starts.

The starting lineup included Rajkovic in goal, with Pereira, Simic, Muath Faqeehi, and Muhannad Shanqeeti in defense; in midfield: Hamed Al-Ghamdi, Rakan Al-Kaabi, Abdulrahman Al-Aboud, and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi; while Moussa Diaby and Youssef En-Nesyri led the attack.

Midfielder Hamed Al-Ghamdi suffered a knee injury about ten minutes into the match and is continuing his treatment program. The duration of his absence will be determined in the coming days, but it is confirmed he will miss the Las Palmas match.

In the second half, the coach gave opportunities to several players, including Keller, Roger, and Mario Mitaj, as part of a rotation policy to ensure all players are fit for the season.

Saturday's match is expected to feature national team players Hassan Kadesh and Saleh Al-Shehri, who have joined the camp, as the coaching staff aims to boost their readiness before official competitions.

Meanwhile, Mario Mitaj is close to leaving Al-Ittihad on loan, with Italian club Genoa interested in signing him. Indications suggest he is out of the coach's plans for the starting lineup, as the coach preferred Muath Faqeehi at left-back in the last match.

In the transfer file, Al-Ittihad's management continues negotiations with Nigerian midfielder Raphael Onyedika of Belgian club Club Brugge to sign him in the current summer transfer window, to bolster the midfield position, a priority after the departure of Brazilian Fabinho. The management is also negotiating with several foreign players who specialize in this position, aiming to finalize the deal as soon as possible to strengthen the squad before the first official match of the season, when they face Al-Jazira of the UAE on August 11 in Abu Dhabi in the AFC Champions League Elite play-off.

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