Matheus Goncalves hints at frustration as Al-Ahli role fades under Marino Pusic

Matheus Goncalves has appeared to express his frustration at being left out of Al-Ahli’s plans, with the Brazilian winger posting a cryptic message online and changing his Instagram profile picture to black.

Goncalves wrote on X: “Once again, it’s impossible to understand. 😡🤦🏻‍♂️”

The 21-year-old then removed photographs showing him wearing an Al-Ahli shirt from his Instagram account.

His actions come after he was left out of the squad for the club’s past five Roshn Saudi League matches under Dutch head coach Marino Pusic.

Goncalves is also expected to miss Al-Ahli’s next fixture, when they face Al-Hazem at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah on Friday in the seventh round of the league.

The winger became one of the notable discoveries of former Al-Ahli manager Matthias Jaissle last season after joining from Flamengo. He made 34 appearances for the club, scoring four goals and providing four assists.

His involvement has been sharply reduced since Pusic took charge at the start of the current season, replacing Jaissle. Goncalves has played only twice, both appearances coming as a substitute, and has completed 38 minutes in total.

He has not scored or assisted a goal this season.