Al Ittihad to field two separate XIs for Mallorca and Malaga friendlies on same day

Al Ittihad will split their squad across two separate friendlies on Thursday in Marbella, with coach Jens Wissing planning to use different line-ups against Real Mallorca and Malaga within the space of a few hours.

The Saudi Pro League side face La Liga club Real Mallorca at midday before meeting Malaga later in the evening, in what will be the final matches of their Spanish training camp.

According to Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, Wissing intends to use mainly reserve and back-up players in the earlier game against Real Mallorca, then turn to his first-choice XI for the evening fixture with Malaga.

Aouar set for first run-out of pre-season

Algeria midfielder Houssem Aouar is expected to feature in one of the two matches after recently joining up with the squad at their Marbella base.

Aouar had been given an extended break following his participation at the 2026 World Cup and has been building up fitness since linking back with the team.

Full-back Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti and winger George Elinekhena are also in line to play on Thursday, having both recovered from the injuries that ruled them out of the previous friendly against Las Palmas.

The pair have completed their rehabilitation and are now available for selection, giving Wissing further options as he looks to assess the depth of his squad before the new campaign.

Spanish camp nearing conclusion

Al Ittihad’s training camp in Spain began in mid-July and has so far included two warm-up matches.

They opened with a 3-2 victory over South African side Orlando Pirates, before beating Spanish club Las Palmas 2-1 in their second outing.

Thursday’s double-header against Real Mallorca and Malaga will bring the overseas preparations to a close, with the coaching staff using the fixtures to hand minutes to as many players as possible.

Following Al Ahli’s lead

City rivals and traditional foes Al Ahli have already adopted a similar approach to pre-season scheduling, playing two friendlies on the same day earlier this week during their camp in Austria.

On Tuesday, Al Ahli first sent out a team of substitutes and squad players in a 2-0 defeat to Portuguese side Portimonense.

Their starting regulars then faced Fulham later in the day, drawing 1-1 with the Premier League club.

Al Ittihad are now mirroring that strategy in Spain, as Wissing attempts to sharpen his main side while also giving valuable game time to those on the fringes of the squad.