Al-Ittihad coach Wissing says Diaby must be mentally ready as En-Nesyri keeps his trust

Al-Ittihad head coach Jens Wissing says Moussa Diaby was left out of the squad to face Al-Hazem because the France international told him he was not mentally ready to play. Wissing also defended Youssef En-Nesyri, insisting the Morocco striker remains one of his best players despite criticism over his recent lack of goals.

Al-Ittihad beat Al-Hazem 3-2 in the Roshn Saudi League, with Wissing pleased to see his side claim another victory during a demanding period of the season. However, he admitted the team’s performance dropped after half-time as fatigue began to have an effect.

“We are happy with the victory, and there are no easy matches with the fixture congestion,” Wissing said at his post-match news conference.

“We have played five matches in two weeks. We produced an excellent first half and scored, but we lost our intensity in the second half and allowed the opponent to attack. In the end, the most important thing is the victory.”

The result continued a strong opening to the campaign for Al-Ittihad, who have played five matches in less than two weeks and won four of them without suffering a defeat.

Wissing said the club were satisfied with their start but still had room to improve. He also confirmed that Al-Ittihad were continuing to assess their options while the transfer window remained open.

“We are certainly happy with our start. It is a good beginning to the season, but we still have a lot ahead of us,” he said. “The transfer window is still open, and we are studying our options.”

Diaby absence explained

Diaby has continued to train but was not introduced against Al-Hazem. Wissing said the decision was based on the player’s own assessment of his readiness.

“The answer is simple: when a player comes and says he is not mentally ready, he cannot be played,” he said.

The German coach added that he would only select players prepared to meet the physical and mental demands of a crowded schedule.

“I want players who are ready. We have a great deal of fixture congestion in the coming period, and if a player is not 100% ready, I am not prepared to rely on him,” Wissing said.

He acknowledged that Al-Ittihad were still working towards the high-intensity style he wants from the team. The players, he said, were following his instructions, although not yet to the standard he expects.

“Since the beginning of the training camp, we have been working to develop ourselves because we want to play football with high intensity, but we have not reached that level yet,” Wissing said.

“The demands I make of the players are being carried out well, but not in the best way so far.”

En-Nesyri backed despite criticism

Wissing attributed part of the second-half decline against Al-Hazem to the physical effort required in the team’s previous match against Al-Qadsiah, which had taken place three days earlier.

“We played Al-Qadsiah three days ago and made a huge physical effort. That certainly affected us,” he said.

He added that Al-Hazem had made the contest particularly demanding by using long balls, forcing Al-Ittihad to cover significant ground.

“We faced a team that tired us with long balls, and we had to make a great effort. Every team has its weapons, and in the end the result is the most important thing.”

Wissing then offered firm support to En-Nesyri, who has faced criticism over his finishing. The coach said the striker’s overall contribution mattered more to him than the attention surrounding his scoring record.

“Youssef En-Nesyri is one of my best players. Since I arrived, he has been one of the best players, and I do not care what the media or the fans say about him,” Wissing said.

“He may be unlucky when it comes to scoring, but he puts in a great and intense effort, and that is important to me.”