Abdulilah Al-Maliki, midfielder of Al-Hilal, is in the final stages of rehabilitation after his knee injury, waiting for the decision of Italian coach Simone Inzaghi regarding his potential participation in the upcoming match against Al-Ittifaq.

Al-Maliki sustained a knee injury on September 22 during the match against Al-Adalah in the Round of 32 of the King’s Cup, which forced the technical staff to substitute him in the last minutes of the game.

The newspaper "Al-Riyadiyah" confirmed that the 31-year-old player has made significant progress in his recovery journey, as he recently started touching the ball and participating in light physical training as part of his rehabilitation program.

Al-Maliki is under close monitoring by the medical and technical staff at Al-Hilal, aiming to ensure his full readiness before granting him the green light to return to official participation with the team in the upcoming matches.

Inzaghi is expected to make his final decision in the coming days regarding the inclusion of the player in Al-Hilal's squad that will travel to Dammam to face Al-Ittifaq on Saturday evening at the “Ego” stadium, as part of the fifth round of the Roshen Saudi League.

Al-Maliki's anticipated return is considered a strong boost for Al-Hilal, especially given the team's need to diversify its options in midfield and enhance the balance between defensive and offensive aspects in the upcoming phase of the season.