Riddles, Returns, and Red Flags: Will Tembakti Shine for Al Hilal vs Al Najma?
5 November 2025
Hassan Tembakti's status ahead of the Al Hilal–Al Najma clash
Media reports detail Hassan Tembakti’s fitness as Al Hilal prepare for their Saudi Pro League match against Al Najma, with the defender’s participation still in doubt.
He missed training on Wednesday, performing only light running as part of his rehab to return to the squad.
The club confirmed that Tembakti did not join the group drills and is focusing on rehab to regain match readiness in the near future.
The Saudi newspaper Al-Yom reported that Tembakti would return to group training on Thursday in preparation for the Al Najma game.
Al Hilal will host Al Najma on Friday at King Abdullah Sports City in Buraydah, in the eighth round of the Saudi Pro League.
Injury notes and squad availability
The newspaper noted that Tembakti’s participation will depend on his recovery and readiness for the match. The team also indicated that flu prevented both Hassan Tembakti and Ali Al-Bulaihi from traveling with the squad to Qatar to face Al-Gharafa.
Ali Al-Bulaihi later rejoined the group training today and is expected to be available for the next match against Al Najma.
Darwin Núñez is undergoing rehab and preparing to rejoin group training in the near future.
Ali Lajami is ruled out for about 3-4 weeks due to a back-muscle injury, keeping him out of multiple games including the upcoming league and cup ties.
Núñez, meanwhile, has missed several matches since arriving from Liverpool, but the striker remains in rehab with the goal of rejoining team training soon.
The first match back after the international break is set for 22 November at the Kingdom Arena, followed by a meeting on 28 November against Al Fateh in the King’s Cup quarterfinals. There is also a AFC Champions League Elite group game against Al Shorta on 25 November at the same venue, which could affect squad availability.
In their seven league games since promotion, Al Najma have yet to win and sit bottom of the table, while Al Hilal’s injury list of Lajami and Nunez continues to be watched closely by fans and staff alike.
Questions over Temaki’s status remain, but the coaching staff will weigh the risk versus readiness as Friday approaches.
Punchline 1: If rehab were a sniper rifle, Tembakti’s comeback would be a quiet, on-target headshot—patient, precise, and somehow still stylish.
Punchline 2: In football, timing is everything; in rehab, it’s everything except time itself—yep, still waiting for that calendar to stop its own countdown.
