Al Nassr Regains Simakan Ahead of Al Diriyah Clash

Al Nassr and Al Diriyah entered their Saudi Pro League meeting on October 9, 2026, at Alawwal Park in Riyadh with key players returning to training after injuries and international commitments. According to reports published by YSScore, World Soccer Talk and Goal, both teams were preparing for the eighth round with 16 points for Al Nassr and 11 for newly promoted Al Diriyah after seven matches. Al Nassr's preparations received a boost when French defender Mohamed Simakan returned to full team training on Thursday after a muscle strain.

World Soccer Talk, citing Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah, reported that Simakan passed fitness tests and became available for coach Ange Postecoglou's selection. The defender's return came as Al Nassr sought to strengthen its defense following a reported 4-0 defeat to Al Ain in its previous outing, as detailed by World Soccer Talk. The team was also managing several absences ahead of its league return.

Al Diriyah, meanwhile, welcomed six international players back to collective training before the fixture, according to YSScore. The returning players were Nikola Vasilev, Chancel Mbemba, Berat Djimsiti, Idrissa Gueye, Adil Boulbina and Darwin Núñez.

Head coach Bruno Lage used the final training session to assess the returning players' physical condition and technical readiness before deciding on his starting lineup. Initial assessments indicated that the six players were fit and prepared to participate, according to the report. The match followed an international break lasting more than three weeks, which coincided with Saudi Arabia's participation in and victory at Gulf Cup 27. Al Diriyah hoped to use home support to secure a positive result against a higher-ranked opponent.

Al Nassr also faced selection concerns involving several Saudi internationals. World Soccer Talk reported that Abdulelah Al-Amri was omitted because of fatigue following the Gulf Cup, while Abdulrahman Ghareeb was left out because he was not physically ready to play. Goal had earlier reported that Ghareeb, French winger Kingsley Coman and left-back Saad Al-Nasser had returned to group training after recovering from injuries. However, the later World Soccer Talk report said Ghareeb was not included in the squad for the Al Diriyah match.

Goal also reported that seven Al Nassr players had been away on international duty: Nawaf Boushal, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Haidar Abdulkarim. Boushal, Al-Khaibari and Al-Hamdan returned to the club alongside Al-Amri, although their availability for the fixture was not confirmed in the report. Al Nassr additionally faced a shortage of goalkeepers because of injuries to Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Raghad Al-Najjar and Mubarak Al-Buainain.

Postecoglou called up young goalkeeper Abdulhadi Al-Alwan to provide cover, according to World Soccer Talk. Before the match, Al Nassr had recorded five wins, one draw and one defeat in seven league games. Its 16 points placed it third, two behind leaders Al Hilal and one behind second-place Al Ittihad, while Al Diriyah occupied eighth place with 11 points, according to the reports from Goal and YSScore.