Al-Nassr Faces Al-Khaleej Without Key Trio
Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium stages an intriguing seventh-round clash in the Saudi Roshn League, but Al-Nassr arrive without three of their most important attacking weapons.
According to Saudi daily Arriyadiyah, Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou has left Kingsley Coman, Ayman Yahya and Abdulrahman Ghareeb out of the squad for Saturday’s meeting with Al-Khaleej, a significant blow for a team trying to keep pace at the top.
Coman’s Absence
Coman’s absence is the headline. The French winger is struggling with hamstring pain, and Postecoglou has opted against any gamble, preferring to protect the player rather than risk a setback in Dammam. The medical staff want to avoid even the slightest aggravation, especially with a continental assignment looming.
Coman will undergo further tests after the Al-Khaleej game to determine whether he can feature in the upcoming clash with Al-Ain of the UAE. That match, scheduled for Tuesday at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, already sits heavily on the club’s planning. Al-Nassr hope the examinations clear him in time for that trip.
The bad news doesn’t end there.
Injuries
Ayman Yahya is also ruled out, sidelined by an adductor muscle injury that removes him from contention for both the Al-Khaleej fixture and the Al-Ain encounter. On the opposite flank, Abdulrahman Ghareeb is missing too, nursing a metatarsal problem that further strips Postecoglou’s options in the final third.
So Al-Nassr travel light. A thinned-out squad, a demanding away ground, and a league table that leaves no room for stumbles.
Despite the absences, the visitors arrive in strong domestic form. They have made a blistering start to the season, collecting 15 points from their first six league outings. Five wins, one defeat – that lone slip a 2-1 reverse against Al-Ittihad – have pushed them into fourth place in the Saudi Roshn League standings.
Al-Khaleej's Situation
Al-Khaleej live in a very different reality. Their start has been rough, just 4 points on the board and a position down in thirteenth. On paper, it looks like a mismatch. On the pitch, the injuries drag the contest closer together.
For Al-Nassr, the mission is clear: keep the pressure on the teams above them, navigate a tricky away test with a patched-up attack, and arrive in Al-Ain still swinging.
