The Saudi Al-Shabab Club is preparing for a decisive match against its counterpart Al-Riyadh on Thursday evening, in light of the absence of Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, who is suspended from the match due to disciplinary reasons.

In light of the absences, Turkish coach Fatih Terim plans to rearrange his offensive strategies, intending to field Portuguese player Daniel Podence as a starter to lead the front line alongside Yannick Carrasco and Haroun Kamara.

Terim's decision to include Podence stems from his desire to compensate for Hamdallah's absence, as he seeks to achieve offensive balance, especially after Carrasco and Kamara contributed to the recent victory against Al-Ahli with a score of 3-1.

In addition to the offensive changes, reports suggest that Nawaf Al-Ghalimish may enter the starting lineup instead of Mohammed Al-Thani, who will be unable to participate due to injury.

The match carries a special competitive nature, especially since the first leg between the two teams ended in favor of Al-Shabab with a score of 2-1, boosting the players' morale to repeat the victory.