Al Hilal lose Sergej Milinkovic-Savic before Al Ittihad clash

Al Hilal will be without Sergej Milinkovic-Savic for Saturday’s Saudi Clasico against Al Ittihad after the Serbia midfielder failed a late fitness test.

The match will be played at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh in the eighth round of the Roshn Saudi League, with Al Hilal already having lost their captain, Salem Al-Dawsari, before the fixture.

Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah reported that Milinkovic-Savic was unable to complete the medical assessment during Friday’s final training session. The midfielder suffered a knock to his calf while on international duty with Serbia.

Al Hilal’s medical staff decided not to risk selecting him, opting instead to rest the 28-year-old because of concerns that playing against Al Ittihad could aggravate the injury.

Milinkovic-Savic is therefore the second significant absentee for Al Hilal, following Al-Dawsari’s withdrawal from training on Friday after experiencing pain in his foot joint.

Head coach Simone Inzaghi must now consider his options in midfield and attack before naming the final squad immediately before kick-off. Both absences leave the league leaders’ opponents facing a difficult selection decision ahead of one of the season’s most anticipated fixtures.

Al Hilal go into the match looking to reclaim first place in the Saudi league standings. They are currently third on 18 points, one point behind Al Qadsiah and Al Nassr, although both of those teams have played one more match.