Friday/Saturday 24 July 2026

Jeddah - Al Jazeera:

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

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

During the first match, Al-Ittihad's coach ensured fielding two different lineups to assess the readiness of all players before the start of the season.

The starting lineup included Rajkovic in goal, with Pereira, Simic, Muath Faqeehi, and Muhannad Shanqiti 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 that 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 squad rotation and to ensure the readiness of all players before the season begins.

Saturday's match is expected to see the participation of international players Hassan Kadesh and Saleh Al-Shehri, after they joined the team's camp. The coaching staff aims to boost their readiness before the official competitions begin.

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

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

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