Al Hilal face defensive crisis as Kalidou Koulibaly struggles before new season

Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly has come under heavy criticism during the club’s preparations for the new season, with his performances falling well below the level supporters have come to expect since his arrival. The Senegal international’s form has created a difficult technical problem for the Saudi Arabian club at a particularly sensitive stage of the summer.

Koulibaly suffered a thigh injury during the final weeks of last season before returning to represent Senegal at the 2026 World Cup. However, his displays since coming back have raised significant concerns about both his physical condition and his performance on the pitch.

The issue for Al Hilal is not simply that the 35-year-old defender has struggled to reproduce his best form. With the new campaign approaching, the club also has very little time in which to make a decisive change. Releasing or moving on from Koulibaly at this stage would leave Al Hilal with a difficult task: finding and signing a foreign centre-back of comparable quality before the transfer window closes.

A deal for an established international defender would require time for negotiations, medical examinations and the player’s integration into a new defensive unit. Those stages cannot easily be rushed, while Al Hilal are already close to the start of their competitive schedule.

The situation is also a concern for Simone Inzaghi, who had been relying on Koulibaly’s experience to provide leadership at the heart of the defence. The Italian coach must now consider immediate alternatives, either by reorganising his defensive structure or by giving other players a greater role.

Koulibaly’s experience remains central to the dilemma. Al Hilal had expected him to help lead the back line, but his current level has left the club weighing whether it can continue to depend on him as the season begins. The club’s decision is complicated by the lack of apparently sufficient domestic alternatives to carry the responsibility through a campaign containing demanding domestic and continental competitions.

That leaves Al Hilal with limited room for manoeuvre. Replacing Koulibaly would be difficult in the short time available, while keeping him in the team carries the risk that his current struggles will continue into the opening matches.

The most realistic option may therefore be to trust that Koulibaly can gradually recover his form once the season gets under way. Al Hilal will hope the Senegal defender can quickly rediscover the authority and consistency that previously made him an important part of the side.

If that improvement does not come soon, however, the club could begin the new campaign facing one of its most serious defensive problems in recent seasons. For Inzaghi, finding a rapid solution will be especially important as Al Hilal prepare for the competitive demands ahead.