The friendly match of Al-Ittihad against Vitoria Guimarães witnessed a notable absence of the duo Hossam Aouar and Mario Metai, which led fans to question the reasons for their exclusion, especially with great anticipation for the start of the new football season.

The French coach Laurent Blanc decided to exclude the Algerian star Hossam Aouar and his Albanian teammate Mario Metai from the match, justifying the step by stating that both were not fully physically ready despite being in the camp for several days.

The players had recently joined the team’s camp in Europe after their international participation with the national teams of Algeria and Albania, prompting the coaching staff to prefer to wait before including them until they reach full readiness.

Al-Ittihad lost the friendly match 3-1 against the Portuguese team, marking their second defeat in the camp, after falling to Turkish team Fenerbahçe 4-0 in the previous friendly match.

The French coach's decision reflects his commitment to preparing all players ideally before the start of the season, avoiding any risks that could lead to potential injuries affecting the team in upcoming official competitions.