Youssef En-Nesyri Leads Al-Ittihad as Ilenikhena Dropped
Jens Wissing wasted no time laying down a marker in his first Roshn Saudi League outing with Al-Ittihad – and George Ilenikhena felt the sting.
The German coach has thrown his weight firmly behind Youssef En-Nesyri as his main striker for the league opener against Al-Khaleej at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday, leaving the Nigerian forward not just on the bench, but out of the squad altogether.
En-Nesyri leads, Ilenikhena dropped
All week, the talk had been about competition up front after Al-Ittihad’s 4-1 win over Al-Jazira of the UAE in the AFC Champions League Elite play-off qualifier. Ilenikhena came off the bench in that game and was expected to at least keep his place in the matchday group.
Instead, Wissing cut him completely and built his first domestic starting XI around En-Nesyri as a classic No. 9, with clear service lines from the flanks.
The Moroccan spearheads the attack, supported by a dangerous wide pairing: Moussa Diaby on one side, Steven Bergwijn on the other. Pace, direct running, and goals – Wissing has nailed his colours to that front three for the start of the league campaign.
Defensive shake-up, midfield continuity
Ilenikhena was not the only player to lose out. Jan-Carlo Simić, who started the win over Al-Jazira, also disappeared from the squad. The Serbian defender made way as Wissing reshaped his back line.
Ahmed Al-Julaidan returned at right-back, with Faris Abdi holding the opposite flank on the left. Between them, Danilo Pereira and Stefan Keller formed the central defensive pairing, tasked with giving Al-Ittihad a solid platform behind that aggressive front line.
While the defence changed, the middle of the pitch stayed untouched. Wissing kept faith with the same midfield trio that controlled proceedings against Al-Jazira: Farha Al-Shamrani, Dion Lopy and Houssem Aouar.
That unit offers balance – local energy from Al-Shamrani, Lopy’s bite and range, and Aouar’s ability to knit attacks together. The message was clear: the structure that worked in continental competition would carry into the league, with only the defensive edges trimmed and the attack sharpened.
As Al-Ittihad kicked off their Roshn Saudi League season in front of their own fans, the decisions were bold, the hierarchy up front unmistakable. For Ilenikhena and Simić, the challenge is now simple: fight their way back into Wissing’s plans, or watch this new-look XI leave them behind.
