Galino's Return Sparks Alarm and Hope as Al-Ahli Eye AFC Elite Revival

Galino's long-awaited comeback from injury

Al-Ahli Jeddah fans welcomed encouraging news as their Brazilian star Wenderson Galino returns to action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, sidelining him since the start of the current season.

Al-Ahli are set to travel to Doha to face Al-Sadd on Tuesday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, in the fourth matchday of the AFC Elite Champions League group stage.

The Saudi press reported that Galino would be part of the squad traveling to the Qatari capital the following day to prepare for the awaited match.

The decision by German coach Matthias Jaissle came after receiving a medical report confirming his readiness to play after full recovery and rejoining training in recent days.

Despite his return, Jaissle and the medical staff agreed Galino's comeback would be gradual to avoid a fresh setback, after he played only 30 minutes against Pyramids in September in the Africa and Asia Cup.

It is expected that he will start on the bench against Al-Sadd, with some minutes at the end as a gradual reintegration into regular action.

Injury history: Galino had suffered an injury before the September clash with Nasaf Qarshi in the AFC Elite group stage, causing him to miss most of the period.

Due to this injury and subsequent misdiagnoses, the Al-Ahli board led by Khalid Al-Ghamdi dismissed the entire medical staff ahead of time.

Reports suggest the injury was not diagnosed properly for over a month, worsening his condition and prolonging his absence more than expected. The situation angered the club management and technical staff, who argued medical negligence forced such a long layoff and demanded a rapid overhaul of the medical department.

The Saudi daily Al-Yom reported that the medical error upset the technical staff who felt the medical team failed to identify the injury properly or to set an appropriate treatment plan, prompting management to intervene and dismiss the staff.

Since the injury against Nasaf, Al-Ahli's attacking output has been clearly affected, with Galino recognized as a key creator in Jaissle's lineup, known for his impact in big matches.

Galino's journey with Al-Ahli

To date, the Brazilian star has not delivered the expected impact this season (2025-2026), featuring in 6 matches for 381 minutes with no goals or assists.

Galino joined Al-Ahli in January 2025 from Porto in a record deal around 50 million euros, signing until June 2028.

During his time with Al-Ahli, he has appeared in 24 matches, scoring 7 goals and providing 5 assists, but recurring injuries have hampered his season, leading some fans to nickname him “the incomplete deal.”

Offensive struggles
Galino's absence has been a major factor behind Al-Ahli's recent attacking struggles, especially in the Saudi Pro League.

Since the start of the season, the team has scored more than one goal only in two matches: a 3-3 draw with Al-Hilal in round three and a 2-0 win over Al-Hazm in round four.

Conversely, they have only scored once in four matches and failed to score in the goalless draw with Al-Ettifaq in round two.

So far, Al-Ahli have played 7 league matches, scoring 9 goals and conceding 5, with 3 wins and 4 draws, making them the most-drawn team in the competition.

This lack of firepower has seen them drop to fifth, with 13 points, five behind leaders Al-Nassr who have a game in hand.

Moves to get back on track

In light of the slump, Jaissle has asked Portuguese sports director Rui Pedro to reinforce the forward line in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Sources say the manager presented a detailed report to Pedro outlining the team's offensive inefficiency and reliance on a few players, stressing the need to sign players who can change the dynamic up front.

The sporting director agreed to the request and the club began evaluating a number of attacking options for the January 5 to February 2 window.

With Galino returning gradually, fans hope the Brazilian can help restore attacking balance in forthcoming matches and improve goal threat after a long absence and offensive underperformance.

Conclusion

Al-Ahli fans are eager to see whether Galino can deliver the spark needed to lift the team up the Saudi Pro League table and back into contention in Asia.

Punchline 1: If the goal was a sniper’s target, Galino’s return would be the clearest sighting—just don’t expect the trophy to appear on the first reticle click.

Punchline 2: The only thing sharper than a winger’s cutback? The editor’s pencil when drafting headlines—tonight’s match might finally give us a headline worth a standing ovation (or at least a smart pun).