Koulibaly fitness boost lifts Al Hilal as defender quashes injury rumours

Kalidou Koulibaly has returned to full training with Al Hilal, handing the Saudi Pro League side a significant boost ahead of the new season and silencing suggestions he is struggling with a long-term injury.

The Senegal defender took part in Thursday’s session with the rest of the squad after successfully coming through medical tests on a thigh problem that had kept him out.

His comeback ends days of speculation in Saudi media and among supporters that the 33-year-old was suffering from a chronic issue which could jeopardise his future at the club, with some fans calling for Al Hilal to move him on.

Koulibaly is under contract with Al Hilal until the end of next season, and his recovery comes at a crucial moment as the Riyadh giants prepare for what they expect to be an intense campaign on multiple fronts.

Last season, Al Hilal – widely known as “Al Zaeem” (The Boss) – endured a disappointing year by their own standards, lifting only the King’s Cup despite assembling a star-studded squad and targeting domestic and continental dominance.

The club hierarchy and coaching staff are now under pressure to convert that talent into silverware in every competition they enter, with the team determined to “achieve all possible titles” in the coming campaign.

Koulibaly’s fitness is seen as key to those ambitions, given his experience at the highest level in Europe and on the international stage with Senegal.

His status in the squad, however, could still be the subject of debate in the coming weeks. Local reports indicate that while he remains contracted to Al Hilal, he may be registered only in the club’s AFC competition list rather than across all available rosters.

Such a move would reflect the fierce competition for foreign-player slots at Al Hilal, whose recruitment strategy has focused on high-profile international signings since the launch of the Saudi Pro League’s recent expansion drive.

For now, though, Koulibaly’s clean bill of health is being viewed inside the club as a timely boost to their pre-season preparations, and as firm evidence that the thigh injury which sidelined him does not pose a long-term threat to his availability.