The Italian coach Simone Inzaghi made a surprising decision to exclude Karim Benzema from Al-Hilal's starting lineup in the match against Al-Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League competition.

This decision came during the meeting held at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium, as part of the thirty-first round of the competition.

The coaching staff explained that Benzema's exclusion is due to technical reasons related to resting him, given the consecutive match pressure the team is facing during the current period.

Inzaghi sought through this decision to maintain the player's physical readiness, especially with crucial matches approaching in the league and other tournaments.

On the other hand, the coach gave striker Marcos Leonardo the opportunity to lead the offensive line after his impressive performance in the previous match.

Al Hilal secured a comfortable victory in the last round against Al Hazm with a 3-0 scoreline, which boosted the coaching staff's confidence in their alternative attacking options.

The team hopes to continue its positive results, despite the absence of one of its key stars from the starting lineup in this match.