Al Hilal name Sultan Mandash as Malcom replacement for Al Feiha test

Al Hilal head coach Simone Inzaghi has selected Sultan Mandash to start on the right wing against Al Feiha in Thursday’s Saudi Pro League meeting, with the Saudi winger stepping in for the departed Brazilian Malcom.

Inzaghi has otherwise kept faith with the side that began Al Hilal’s previous league match, making Mandash’s inclusion the only change to the starting XI. The fixture represents the team’s first test since Malcom’s departure and gives Mandash an early opportunity to establish himself in the position.

Al Hilal’s starting line-up is:

Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou

Defenders: Moteb Al-Harbi, Ali Lajami, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mohammed Al-Mahzari

Midfielders: Mohamed Kanno, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Forwards: Crysencio Summerville, Karim Benzema, Sultan Mandash

Inzaghi will be hoping Mandash can help compensate for the attacking contribution lost with Malcom’s exit. The winger has been handed a starting role immediately, allowing him to demonstrate whether he can occupy the position during the next stage of Al Hilal’s campaign.

The rest of the team remains unchanged from the line-up used in their opening match of the competition. That continuity reflects Inzaghi’s decision not to make wider alterations before the second-round encounter with Al Feiha.

Al Hilal are aiming to make it two victories from two in the Saudi Pro League after beginning their campaign with a win over Al-Faisaly. The club also has several alternatives available among the substitutes, providing Inzaghi with further attacking and tactical options during the match.

Much of the attention will focus on the front three of Crysencio Summerville, Karim Benzema and Mandash. Al Hilal will look to retain their attacking strength and continue collecting points, while Mandash faces the immediate challenge of filling the space created by Malcom’s departure.

The match is the first occasion on which Al Hilal’s attacking line will be assessed following the Brazilian winger’s exit. Mandash’s selection therefore carries particular significance, with the 29-year-old expected to shoulder responsibility on the right side from the opening whistle.

A related discussion has also centred on Malcom, whose comments were highlighted under the headline: “What bothers me is ingratitude!” However, the focus for Al Hilal on Thursday will be on the players available to Inzaghi, and specifically on whether Mandash can provide the penetration and attacking threat previously supplied from that flank.

With the remainder of the side preserved, Inzaghi has made clear that he wants stability around the single enforced change. The result against Al Feiha will offer an early indication of how successfully Al Hilal can adapt to life without Malcom while maintaining momentum at the start of the Saudi Pro League season.