Al-Hilal's first-team football manager, Simone Inzaghi, put an end to the speculation surrounding the future of Ali Al-Bulaihi, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan, following recent reports that they were no longer in the coaching staff's plans and were close to leaving the club. This came during the pre-match press conference ahead of the team's upcoming game against Al-Hazm in the 14th round of the Saudi Professional League.
In his first official response to these speculations, Inzaghi confirmed that the door is open to everyone, saying: "No player is out of the picture as long as he adheres to the daily training with the club. Al-Bulaihi, Al-Hamdan and Al-Qahtani are professional players and they perform their training very well, but decisions regarding their contractual future are a matter for the club's management, who will make the appropriate decision at the appropriate time.".
The context of competition and the importance of technical stability
These statements come at a time when Al-Hilal is highly focused on competing on all fronts, both domestically and continentally. Al-Hilal, the record holder for the most Asian and domestic titles, is an environment that demands the highest level of readiness from its players. Rotation and maintaining squad depth are among the most important strategies of major clubs competing in multiple tournaments, with the coaching staff striving to maintain a stable dressing room and shield the players from rumors that could affect their focus on the pitch.
The importance of the trio and the future of the team
The name of international defender Ali Al-Bulaihi is always associated with big matches and the fighting spirit he instills in the defense, making any talk of his exclusion a matter of great interest to Al-Hilal fans. Meanwhile, Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Mohammed Al-Qahtani represent the team's youth and future, with fans counting on their continued development to serve the club in the coming years. Their repeated exclusion from the starting lineups in recent matches has fueled speculation about the possibility of loaning them out or selling their contracts to other clubs interested in acquiring their services.
Facing Al-Hazm and the ambition to lead
On another front, Al-Hilal enters the match against Al-Hazm with its sights set on nothing less than three points, aiming to continue its climb towards the top of the Roshan Professional League standings or at least solidify its position. The team seeks to capitalize on the significant morale boost gained from its recent and well-deserved 2-0 victory over Damac, reaffirming its determination not to drop any points in this season's fiercely contested title race, amidst intense competition from other top clubs who have bolstered their squads with world-class signings.
