Al Hilal striker’s absence against Al Ittihad
Jesus faces challenges without Mitrovic, Al Hilal is looking for strong alternatives in the face of round 22
The Portuguese coach of Al Hilal, Jorge Jesus, faces a tough challenge when he hosts Al Ittihad on the ground of the Kingdom Arena in an anticipated match next Friday evening within the 22nd round of the Saudi Professional League. Jesus has to adapt to the absence of his Serbian striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was suspended due to the accumulation of cards after receiving a fourth warning during the team’s 2-0 victory over Al Ittifaq last Monday.
Therefore, the absence of the Serbian scorer will be the second this season, as he was absent in the match that ended with their draw with Al Faihaa 1-1 in the first round due to injury, while he participated in the rest of the matches and scored 19 goals and made 5 decisive passes, ranking second in the league’s top scorers list with a difference of 3 goals behind the Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Al Nassr.
The current absence will have an impact on Al Hilal’s performance in the multiple aspects of the game, as Mitrovic was not only a skilled scorer but also an influential player in building the play and supporting the defensive side. The Serbian player is a main pivot in distributing the play and working under pressure, in addition to his skill in playing with both feet and scoring goals with his head.
Jesus will also miss the important roles that Mitrovic played in leading the team’s attack, as well as his ability to motivate his teammates and participate in different stages of the match. Therefore, the Portuguese coach has to choose suitable alternatives to ensure the continuity of the team’s success.
Among the potential alternatives comes at the forefront the Saudi player Saleh Alshehri, who has long experience and super speed, which makes him an interesting option to compensate for the absence of Mitrovic. Abdullah Al Hamdan can also be relied upon as another alternative, as he has previously led the attack of Saudi teams and the national team. The third option is to appoint the Brazilian Malcom as a false striker, with the participation of his compatriot Michel Delgado on the side.
These challenges require Jesus to innovate new strategies and integrate substitute players to ensure the continued brilliance of Al Hilal in the competition.
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