The Italian Simone Inzaghi, the head coach of Al Hilal, confirmed that the delay in preparation was one of the reasons for not presenting a stronger image from the beginning.

Inzaghi said during the press conference after the match against Al Ettifaq: "We had the desire from the start to impose our style, and with the change in tactics, the players succeeded in delivering their best performance."

He added in his remarks: "After a break, there is usually anxiety about the performance of some players, but this was alleviated with this match, as the focus was as required, and our international players returned as they should."

He continued: "Our goal is to win in every match, and we fell behind due to draws at the beginning of the league, but we are determined to continue our victories, and Salem Al-Dosari is the best in Asia, and I am fortunate to have this player on my team."

Regarding the inclusion of the duo Ali Lajami and Ali Al-Bulaihi, he said: "I included the players because they prepared a lot during the break, and before that they participated and performed well."

He added: "The details of Hamad Al-Yami's injury are not clear yet, and we will see what happens and the available options, especially since we lost the player Joao Cancelo due to injury."

He concluded his statements: "We have to think about the match against Al Sadd of Qatar in the Asian Champions League next Tuesday, before thinking about facing Al Ittihad on Friday."