Al-Ittihad’s George Ilenikhena faces surprise omission to make room for Youssef En-Nesyri

Al-Ittihad manager Yann Wissing is considering leaving George Ilenikhena out of Friday’s Roshn Saudi League match against Al-Qadsiah so that Youssef En-Nesyri can be included in the squad.

The German coach faces a difficult decision because of the limited number of places available for foreign players. Ilenikhena could therefore be dropped despite scoring twice in Al-Ittihad’s most recent match, while En-Nesyri is being considered for a return to the matchday squad.

Al-Ittihad travel to face Al-Qadsiah in the second round of the league, with Wissing yet to settle on his final selection. The situation has created an unexpected threat to Ilenikhena, who made a strong case for more playing time with an impressive display in the King’s Cup.

The Nigeria striker scored two goals in Al-Ittihad’s 3-0 victory over Al-Najma in the last-32 stage of the competition. His performance gave the coaching staff a clear reminder of his attacking qualities and intensified the discussion about whether he should be trusted with a more prominent role.

Ilenikhena’s goals also led to increased calls from supporters for him to feature more regularly. At the same time, En-Nesyri has faced growing criticism after failing to produce the level expected of him at the beginning of his Al-Ittihad career.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, Wissing would prefer to take both Ilenikhena and En-Nesyri to the Al-Qadsiah match if possible. However, the final squad will depend on the medical report concerning Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simic.

If Simic is confirmed fit to play, Wissing may have to remove Ilenikhena from the squad to create space for En-Nesyri. Such a decision would come as a major surprise given the Nigerian forward’s contribution against Al-Najma and the momentum he gained from that performance.

The selection issue follows wider speculation surrounding Al-Ittihad’s squad. The club had also been the subject of reports concerning the future of Moussa Diaby, with Wissing previously explaining the player’s absence.

For now, Ilenikhena’s place remains uncertain. The striker could find himself paying the indirect price for En-Nesyri’s potential inclusion, despite having delivered one of the team’s most convincing individual performances in recent weeks.

Wissing must decide whether to retain a forward who has just demonstrated his effectiveness or give En-Nesyri another opportunity to establish himself as the leader of Al-Ittihad’s attack against Al-Qadsiah. The outcome is expected to be determined once the club receives the latest update on Simic’s fitness.