German Matthias Jaissle, coach of Al-Ahli Jeddah, surprised his fans by deciding to exclude Algerian star Riyad Mahrez from the team’s lineup for the match against Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Roshn League.
Al-Ahli is preparing to face Riyadh in matchday 24 of the Saudi Professional League, scheduled for 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, at the Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Stadium in the capital, Riyadh.
Turkish defender Merih Demiral returned to the list, after fully recovering from his injury, to reinforce the team’s defensive line in a match in which they intend to continue competing for first place.
The coaching staff also included the Brazilian Matheus Gonçalves in the selected squad, in a measure aimed at providing the team with additional offensive solutions for the next match.
Riyad Mahrez was excluded from the match to rest and prepare for the upcoming matches, while Enzo Miu was also excluded from the match, according to sports critic Walid Saeed on the “X” platform.
Al-Ahly comes into the match in second place in the Roshan League standings with 56 points, while Al-Riyadh fights in fifteenth place with 16 points, giving the match additional importance for both teams.