Saudi Al-Hilal has included the Brazilian duo Marcos Leonardo and Renan Lodi in its roster for the Asian Elite League tournament, as confirmed by informed sources to "Asharq Al-Awsat".

The sources indicated that Italian coach Simone Inzaghi emphasized the importance of keeping the players in the Asian lineup, wishing to benefit from their capabilities during the upcoming international commitments.

This move comes due to the limitation of registered players in local competitions to only 25, alongside the engagement of many international team members with their national teams in World Cup qualifiers.

Inzaghi also rejected the idea of loaning Marcos Leonardo to Brazilian Sao Paulo or transferring Renan Lodi to Al-Shabab Club, preferring to rely on them in Asia to compensate for any potential absences.

The Italian coach's insistence on the duo is attributed to their remarkable performance in the recent FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where they contributed to Al-Hilal reaching the quarter-finals.

Al-Hilal achieved a notable feat in that tournament after surpassing English Manchester City in one of the biggest surprises of the last edition, which increased Inzaghi's confidence in the Brazilian players.