The Saudi Al-Ahli club suffered a shock before the match against Qatari Al-Duhail, after confirming the absence of Turkish defender Merih Demiral from the much-anticipated game on Monday evening due to a health issue he faced in the past few days.

Demiral missed the recent match against Al-Hazm in the Roshan Saudi League during the fourth round, as he suffered from severe influenza that forced him to stay away from the squad and deprived the team of his defensive efforts.

According to sources close to the club, the player was supposed to join the Al-Ahli delegation in Doha after completing travel arrangements, but his health condition did not allow him to travel, and he informed the administrative staff of his inability to participate.

In light of this absence, German coach Matthias Jaissle began preparing substitute Mohammed Bakr to take on defensive duties, as he appeared in the starting lineup during the recent training sessions held at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Qatar.

On the other hand, Frenchman Enzo Milot provided a dose of optimism for the team after proving his full readiness to return to midfield, as he participated in all training sessions, awaiting the coach's decision regarding his inclusion from the start against Al-Duhail.

Al-Ahli enters the match as the leader of its group in the AFC Champions League with three points, while Al-Duhail approaches the match at the bottom of the standings with no points, which increases the importance of the game for both teams in the continental competition.