The German Matthias Jaissle, the head coach of Al-Ahli Jeddah, surprised his fans by deciding to exclude the Algerian star Riyad Mahrez from the team's lineup for the match against Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Roshn League.

Al-Ahli is preparing to face Riyadh in the 24th round of the Saudi Professional League, scheduled for 10 PM on Thursday, at Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Stadium in the capital, Riyadh.

The list saw the return of Turkish defender Merih Demiral after fully recovering from his injury, to strengthen the defensive line for the team in a match where they aim to continue competing for the top spot.

The coaching staff also included Brazilian Matheus Gonçalves in the selected squad, in a move aimed at providing the team with additional offensive solutions for the upcoming match.

Riyad Mahrez was excluded to rest and prepare him for upcoming commitments, while Enzo Miu was also excluded from the match, as indicated by sports critic Walid Saeed on the "X" platform.

Al-Ahly enters the match in second place in the Roshan League standings with 56 points, while Al-Riyadh is struggling in fifteenth place with 16 points, which gives the match added significance for both teams.