The Portuguese Sergio Conceição, head coach of Al-Ittihad Club, is following the status of duo Karim Benzema and Steven Bergwijn to determine their availability for the decisive match against Al-Hilal, scheduled for next Friday as part of the sixth round of the Saudi League.

According to the Saudi sports newspaper, the coaching staff of Al-Ittihad is awaiting the final medical report regarding the players’ readiness, which will be determined during the team's evening training session today, Tuesday.

Conceição is expected to begin his tactical preparations for the match against Al-Hilal during the next training session, where he will devise his tactical plans based on the fitness levels of Benzema and Bergwijn, both of whom missed the recent trip to Baghdad in the Asian tournament.

Reports indicate that Benzema sustained a bruise to his ankle during the match against Al-Fayha, which ended in a 1-1 draw, while Bergwijn is suffering from muscle fatigue that has kept him out of recent matches for his safety.

Conceição hopes to have the duo available before the anticipated encounter against Al-Hilal, given their significant importance in the team's attacking formation, especially as Al-Ittihad needs to secure a positive result to continue competing for the top spot.

It is worth noting that Al-Ittihad delivered a strong performance in the Elite Asian Champions League, having defeated the Iraqi police 4-1 in the third round, confirming their strong return on both local and continental levels ahead of the awaited classic match.