Shock Absence: Will Ittihad Face Riyadh Without Naziri?
11 March 2026
Hold-your-breath moment as Naziri's availability remains uncertain
The Moroccan forward Youssef Naziri of Al-Ittihad sparked doubts about his involvement in the upcoming match against Riyadh after a surprising absence.
Al-Ittihad will visit Riyadh on Friday for a meeting at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium in the 26th round of the Roshen Pro League.
The Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiya reported Naziri missed the group training on Tuesday due to fatigue, and instead only jogged around the pitch.
Nevertheless, the newspaper confirmed that the Moroccan striker will participate in the upcoming group training sessions to prepare for the Riyadh game.
Meanwhile, forward Saleh Al-Shehri has returned to group training after an injury layoff.
During the session, Ahmad Al-Jaleedan, Faisal Al-Ghamdi, Hamid Al-Ghamdi, and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi were also involved after featuring for the Under-21 team against Al-Bukairiya in the 18th round of the Elite League.
Al-Ittihad currently sits sixth in the Saudi Pro League table with 42 points, 22 behind leaders Al-Nassr.
Image credit: Getty Images.
Sniper punchline: If Naziri ends up benched, the only thing hotter than Riyadh's attack will be my patience waiting for this update.
Sniper punchline 2: And if football logic takes a vacation, at least the locker room still has coffee.
