Saudi Arabia face midfield reshuffle after Musab Al-Juwayr’s Gulf Cup 27 exclusion

Georgios Donis has been handed Saudi Arabia’s first major challenge before Gulf Cup 27 after Musab Al-Juwayr was removed from the squad’s training camp for disciplinary reasons.

The technical and administrative staff made the decision without revealing details of the incident, with the tournament due to begin within days. The timing leaves Donis facing a significant footballing problem as well as a disciplinary issue.

Al-Juwayr quickly issued a statement on Instagram in which he accepted full responsibility for his conduct and acknowledged his mistake without offering excuses or justification. He apologised to the Minister of Sport, the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the technical and administrative staff, his team-mates and Saudi Arabia supporters.

Donis responded to the midfielder’s absence by calling up Mukhtar Ali, but Ali is not a like-for-like replacement. The two players offer different qualities and would be expected to perform different roles in midfield.

Al-Juwayr had been an important option as an advanced midfielder. He could drop deep to receive possession, contribute to build-up play and help control the tempo of matches. Those responsibilities do not appear to be available in the same clear way elsewhere in the squad.

Ali, by contrast, gives Donis different attributes, particularly through his work in central areas, defensive contribution and ability to provide balance. The solution, therefore, is unlikely to be as simple as placing him in Al-Juwayr’s position and asking him to reproduce the same performance.

Instead, Saudi Arabia may have to spread Al-Juwayr’s responsibilities among several players, while giving Ali duties suited to his own strengths.

The disciplinary decision appears to have settled the immediate issue for Donis and the team’s administrators. Press sources have said the action was intended to act as a deterrent and maintain control within the camp, rather than being motivated by footballing considerations.

The sporting consequences will become clear when Saudi Arabia open their campaign against Kuwait. Donis will not simply be replacing one player; he will have to compensate for the loss of a specific midfield function.

With little time remaining before the tournament, redistributing Al-Juwayr’s duties across the team is likely to be the most practical approach. That could require another player to assume responsibility for creating play and managing the match tempo, or a broader change to the team’s structure to adapt to his absence.

Donis has made a clear disciplinary statement by excluding Al-Juwayr. The success of that decision, however, will ultimately be judged by whether Saudi Arabia can overcome the gap in midfield without losing one of their key means of controlling the rhythm of matches.