Al Hilal has issued an injury update during the current international break, ahead of the resumption of the Saudi Pro League, the AFC Champions League Elite, and the King’s Cup. The club notes several absences that could affect plans as they seek full fitness before the season restarts.
The club published medical timelines via its official X account, aiming to clarify return dates while the squad works to regain peak condition for a busy period ahead.
Injury Update and Timelines
Sergio Milinkovic-Savic, the Serbian midfielder, suffered a knock earlier and will undergo a one-week program of treatment and conditioning.
Brazilian right-back Joao Cancelo remains in rehabilitation, with a firm return date not yet set; the club expects his comeback to stretch toward the end of the year.
In addition, Abdulilah Al-Maliki, Malcolm, and Darwin Nunez are all in rehabilitation, continuing their targeted programs in the gym as they push toward full fitness.
Updates were slow to circulate at first, with initial reports suggesting additional injuries in training, but the club issued a measured statement on X to clarify each player’s status.
It is likely Milinkovic-Savic will miss the forthcoming match against Ettifaq in October’s fifth round of the Saudi Pro League.
Long Absence
The Portuguese right-back Cancelo is still undergoing rehab, with conditioning work continuing in the gym and no precise return date announced yet.
Return timing remains tentative, and the club has emphasized a careful, staged recovery to avoid any setback.
Triple Rehab
The leadership also confirmed that Abdulilah Al-Maliki, Malcolm, and Darwin Nunez will keep advancing their rehabilitation programs in the gym as they build strength and endurance.
The club stressed that all three are progressing through individualized routines designed to restore their match sharpness and contribute to the squad’s depth this season.
Inzaghi's Tactical Arsenal
The five injured players are considered important components of coach Simone Inzaghi’s plan, with roles that may see them in starting duties or in rotation to maintain intensity across a demanding campaign.
Inzaghi, as the Italian tactician steering the ship, aims to balance a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts, leveraging depth to sustain performances across league and continental commitments compared to last season’s results under Jorge Jesus.
The coach’s setup emphasizes a flexible approach that can shift between 3-5-2 and 4-3-3, depending on the opponent and the match moment, while protecting key assets and maximizing attacking threat from the wings and midfield.
Offensively, Darwin Nunez is given freedom inside the box, with Malcolm and Salem Al-Dosari providing width and cutting lanes to create overloads and space for the center-forward to exploit.
Defensively, the team has shown improved solidity, built on clearer role definition and compact organization across the back line as they push to reclaim domestic dominance and a strong continental run.
october Challenges
The month opens with a tough test away to Ettifaq, at a venue in Dammam, on Saturday, October 18, in the Saudi Pro League’s fifth round.
Kick-off is scheduled for around 6:45 pm local time, and both clubs will be keen to close the gap to the league leaders as they push toward the mid-season stretch.
Al Hilal sit sixth with eight points, from two wins and two draws, four points behind the top spot held by their traditional rival. Ettifaq occupy seventh with seven points from a couple of wins, a draw, and a defeat.
Historically, Hilal has enjoyed the edge in this fixture: in 30 meetings across 15 seasons, the club has 21 wins to Ettifaq’s 2, with seven draws. Hilal have scored 62 goals in those meetings to Ettifaq’s 24, underscoring the gulf in firepower and experience in many of these clashes.
Salem Al-Dosari remains a key figure for Hilal in this matchup, sitting as co-top scorer in league meetings against Ettifaq with seven goals, level with former star Bafetimbi Gomis who once wore the blue jersey.
