Hilal hand surprise start to new signing as Darwin Nunez leads line in friendly against MC Alger

Simone Inzaghi has sprung an early pre-season surprise at Al Hilal by handing a debut start to new right-back Mohammed Mahzari and naming Darwin Nunez in the XI for Wednesday’s friendly against MC Alger in Austria.

The meeting with the Algerian side is Al Hilal’s third warm-up fixture of their overseas training camp, as the Saudi Pro League champions build towards the 2026-27 campaign.

Italian coach Inzaghi confirmed his starting line-up shortly before kick-off, with Mahzari included from the outset despite expectations that he would not feature. The defender only joined the camp on Monday following his move from Al Taawoun.

Earlier in the day, Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah had reported that Mahzari and Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves had undergone physical and fitness tests on Wednesday morning and were unlikely to take part in the match.

Mahzari’s swift elevation into the starting side therefore defied the initial projections around his readiness after his late arrival in Austria.

Nunez starts amid exit reports

The line-up also underlined Inzaghi’s current reliance on Darwin Nunez, who was selected as a central striker despite persistent speculation that the Uruguay forward could leave Al Hilal during the current summer transfer window.

Reports have suggested Nunez may depart the club or at least be omitted from the domestic squad list for the coming season, but Inzaghi has continued to use him as an out-and-out centre-forward.

Against MC Alger, Nunez was deployed as a main striker alongside Ivorian attacker Mohamed Kader Meti, with Brazilian winger Malcom also starting in attack. Malcom’s future has also been the subject of rumours linking him with a move away from Al Hilal.

Summerville held back on the bench

In contrast to Mahzari, fellow summer recruit Crysencio Summerville began the game on the bench. The Dutch winger has joined Al Hilal from West Ham United and is expected to be eased into the side during pre-season.

Inzaghi was tipped to introduce Summerville in the second half for a brief run-out, as the Italian continues to assess his squad options ahead of competitive action.

Strong start to Austrian camp

The clash with MC Alger follows a positive start to Al Hilal’s Austrian training camp. The Riyadh side opened their friendly schedule with a 2-1 victory over Austrian club Sturm Graz, before recording a 2-0 win against South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

The MC Alger fixture is the penultimate match of Al Hilal’s overseas programme. The club will conclude their stay in Austria on 3 August, when they face Al Ahli of Qatar.

After that final friendly, Al Hilal are scheduled to return to Riyadh to complete their preparations for the new season.