Inzaghi Rotates Al Hilal Ahead of UAE Showdown
8 February 2026
The Italian coach has decided to rest his players after a tight spell.
Team news ahead of the UAE trip
The Italian coach, Simone Inzaghi, Al Hilal's manager, sidelined three players from the squad that traveled to the UAE ahead of the Asian Elite League clash with Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.
The Al Hilal delegation had already flown to the UAE earlier today, Sunday, in preparation to face Shabab Al Ahli on Monday in the penultimate round of the continental league stage.
League standings and schedule context
Al Hilal still tops the Western Conference standings in the league stage with 18 points, having won all six matches so far, and their qualification is secured regardless of the remaining results, while Shabab Al Ahli sits fifth with 10 points.
According to the 'Al-Yom' newspaper, the trio Salem Al-Dawsari, Marcus Leonardo, and Kalidou Koulibaly did not leave Saudi Arabia.
It noted that Inzaghi excluded the three players from the squad to rest them due to the heavy schedule in recent weeks.
Benzema, eligibility, and the match squad
This comes as the new arrival Karim Benzema is excluded from the match, as he is not allowed to participate with Al Hilal in the league phase due to his prior stint with Al-Ittihad, though he will be eligible to feature with the team from the knockout rounds onward.
Al Hilal will enter the match with a professional-heavy lineup, featuring a mix of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers ready to push for a victory.
Al Hilal will enter the match with a seasoned lineup, featuring a goalkeeper, defenders, and a strong midfield and attack to press for the win.
Punchline: If rest was a tactic, Al Hilal would be the world champions of snooze—opponents would wake up to find the scoreboard unchanged.
Punchline 2: The bench is so comfy it could qualify for a spa day, and the match hasn’t even started yet.
