Al-Ahli begin Roshn Saudi League season with Pusic set to reshape side

Al-Ahli manager Marin Pusic is preparing for his first Roshn Saudi League match with a reshaped starting line-up, including new arrivals Francisco Trincao and Eduard Spertsyan and goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi.

The Saudi club begin their 2026-27 league campaign against Al-Diriyah at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Thursday, with Pusic taking charge of Al-Ahli for the first time in the competition.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, Al-Sanbi is expected to start in goal in place of Edouard Mendy, who remains unavailable because of the injury he suffered during the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Pusic has also decided to include Trincao and Spertsyan in his starting XI. The Portugal winger joined from Sporting CP, while Armenia international Spertsyan arrived from Russian club Krasnodar.

Trincao is set to take the place of Algeria international Riyad Mahrez, while Spertsyan will replace Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie. Both Mahrez and Kessie left Al-Ahli during the current summer transfer window.

Al-Ahli will also be without French midfielder Enzo Millot for their opening fixture. The club are looking to move him on before the summer transfer window closes.

Pusic’s first league match comes as Al-Ahli attempt to make a strong start to the new season and challenge for the title they last won in 2016.

The meeting with Al-Diriyah will therefore mark the beginning of a new chapter for the club under their Dutch head coach, who has already made important changes to the side before his competitive debut.

The decision to select Al-Sanbi reflects the continuing absence of Mendy, rather than a change prompted by a poor run of form. Mendy has been out since the World Cup, leaving Al-Sanbi set to assume the goalkeeping role for the opening match of the campaign.

In attack, Trincao’s inclusion gives Pusic a replacement for Mahrez, while Spertsyan’s selection changes the composition of the midfield following Kessie’s departure. The two incoming players are among the most notable changes to the line-up as Al-Ahli begin the new Roshn Saudi League season.

The club’s ambitions extend beyond an opening-day victory. Al-Ahli are seeking to regain the Saudi league crown after their most recent championship success a decade ago, making the opening fixture an early test of Pusic’s plans and the team’s ability to adapt to a new-look squad.

With Mendy unavailable, Mahrez and Kessie no longer at the club, and Millot’s future uncertain, Pusic will begin the campaign with several key decisions already shaping his team.