Trezeguet absence sparks anger among Al Riyadh fans before Al Ahly clash

Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” has upset Al Riyadh supporters after being left out of the squad for Friday’s Roshn Saudi League meeting with Al Ahly.

Al Riyadh travel to face Al Ahly at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in the fifth round of the Saudi top flight, but the Egyptian winger was a surprise omission from both the starting line-up and the substitutes.

The club’s official account on X announced the players selected for the match, with Trezeguet’s absence immediately attracting attention from sections of the Al Riyadh support. Some fans questioned why the club had not provided an explanation, while others expressed their frustration at the lack of information before such an important fixture.

Trezeguet had appeared to be preparing normally for the game. On Thursday, Al Riyadh published photographs from the team’s final training session ahead of the match, and the former Al Ahly player was shown taking part without any obvious indication that he would be unavailable.

However, a reporter from Thmanyah, the broadcaster of the Saudi league, confirmed at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium that Trezeguet had been ruled out because of an injury.

The absence is particularly notable because Trezeguet only joined Al Riyadh during the current summer transfer window. He moved from Egyptian club Al Ahly after spending one season with them before making the switch to the Saudi side.

The reaction among supporters focused not only on the player’s omission but also on the way the news was communicated. Comments on the club’s social media account included: “How do we not know anything about Mensah and Trezeguet!! This account is unfortunately dead.”

Another fan wrote: “With this line-up, I am not optimistic, but hopefully luck will be on our side.”

A further comment referred to Al-Bawardi being named among the substitutes, saying: “Al-Bawardi is on the bench… no comment.”

The announcement therefore left Al Riyadh fans discussing the make-up of the team and the unexplained absence of one of their most prominent summer arrivals. The club’s training images had suggested Trezeguet was available, but the confirmation from the stadium reporter clarified that an injury was the reason for his withdrawal.

Al Riyadh now face Al Ahly without the Egyptian winger in their squad for the fifth-round contest. Trezeguet’s absence had not been stated by the club when the team selection was initially published, prompting the reaction from supporters before the match.