Ittihad adopt dual-squad strategy for same-day friendlies in Spain under Jens Wissing

Ittihad head coach Jens Wissing will use two different line-ups to navigate back-to-back friendlies against Real Mallorca and Malaga on the same day as the Saudi club conclude their pre-season camp in Spain.

The Jeddah side face Real Mallorca on Thursday afternoon before meeting Malaga in the evening, with both matches taking place in Marbella as part of their external training camp.

According to Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, Wissing plans to field his reserve players against Real Mallorca in the earlier kick-off, keeping his first-choice XI fresh for the clash with Malaga later that night.

The approach mirrors that of city rivals Al Ahli, who also scheduled two friendlies on the same day during their pre-season preparations this week.

Aouar set for first run-out of camp

Algeria midfielder Houssem Aouar is expected to feature in one of the two fixtures after linking up with Ittihad’s camp in recent days.

Aouar had been granted an extended break following his involvement at the 2026 World Cup and has only recently joined the group in Marbella.

Wissing is planning to integrate the 26-year-old gradually, with his first minutes of this pre-season likely to come in either the Real Mallorca or Malaga match rather than both.

Injured duo return

Full-back Muhannad Al Shanqeeti and defender George Elinikhna are also in line to play as they return from injury.

Both missed Ittihad’s last friendly against Las Palmas due to fitness issues but have since recovered and are expected to be given game time across Thursday’s double-header as part of their build-up to full match sharpness.

The twin fixtures will complete Ittihad’s Spanish schedule, which began in mid-July and has so far brought two wins from two outings.

Perfect record so far in Marbella

Ittihad opened their camp with a 3-2 victory over South African side Orlando Pirates, before following that up with a 2-1 success against Spanish club Las Palmas.

Those matches have allowed Wissing to assess his options and experiment with combinations ahead of the new season, and Thursday’s split-squad plan is designed to ensure that as many players as possible gain minutes without overloading key personnel.

The afternoon meeting with Real Mallorca will be used to showcase squad depth and fringe players, while the evening test against Malaga is being treated as a stronger rehearsal with the core starting group.

Al Ahli’s similar experiment

Ittihad’s decision comes a day after neighbours and long-time rivals Al Ahli adopted a similar strategy during their own training camp in Austria.

Al Ahli played two friendlies on Tuesday, using largely different line-ups in each match.

They lost 2-0 to Portuguese side Portimonense when fielding their back-up players, before drawing 1-1 with Fulham later in the day with their regular starters on the pitch.

Both Jeddah clubs are using intensive friendly schedules and split squads as they attempt to fine-tune fitness levels and tactical plans before competitive action resumes.