Neom's French manager, Christophe Galtier, revealed the final status of the team's three key players – Salman Al-Faraj, Ahmed Hegazi, and Alaa Hajji – regarding their participation in the upcoming match against Al-Najma. This statement comes as fans eagerly await the return of these stars to bolster the team's ranks in their competitive campaign.
During the press conference held on Tuesday to discuss the team's preparations, Galtier explained: "Salman Al-Faraj, Ahmed Hegazi and Alaa Hegazi are medically cleared to participate, but they are returning from long-term injuries, and we will not rush their full participation. The possibility of each of them participating and the number of minutes will be assessed according to their physical and technical readiness to ensure their safety.".
NEOM Sports Project and the Influence of Stars
This match holds special significance given the ambitious sporting project spearheaded by NEOM FC, which has successfully attracted prominent figures in Saudi and Arab football. The signing of former Saudi national team and Al-Hilal captain Salman Al-Faraj, and veteran Egyptian international defender Ahmed Hegazi, former captain of Al-Ittihad, represents a turning point in the club's history. The return of these players not only adds technical depth to the team but also strengthens its leadership qualities as it strives to establish itself among the top Saudi clubs in the near future.
The French coach spoke about the opponent, stressing the difficulty of the match: "Al-Najma is a good team and includes a number of distinguished players, and there is no easy match in the league, so we must respect all the competing teams. We have prepared well for the match by playing strong friendly matches, in addition to many specialized training sessions to address mistakes.".
The development of Saudi football and praise for the national teams
In a related context, Galtier didn't miss the opportunity to praise the rapid development of Saudi football, congratulating the national Olympic team on winning the Gulf Cup title. He commented, "Football is developing here very quickly, and this is reflected in the performance of clubs and national teams." He also thanked his players for their tremendous effort during the past period despite the challenges of injuries, indicating that the club's policy in the coming period will involve giving opportunities to a number of talented young players.
Neom is scheduled to host Al-Najma at 8:30 PM next Thursday, in the eleventh round of matches. Neom enters the match aiming for three points to improve its position in the standings, currently holding 14 points and competing strongly with the top and mid-table teams. Meanwhile, Al-Najma seeks to escape the bottom of the table and improve its precarious situation in the competition.
