Aouar arrives in Doha ahead of Al-Ittihad's squad for the match against Al-Shamal

Algerian midfielder Hossam Aouar has preceded his Al-Ittihad teammates to the Qatari capital Doha, in preparation for the team's first match in the AFC Champions League Elite.

The official Al-Ittihad delegation leaves Riyadh this evening, with the team set to begin preparations for the match with a training session scheduled for Sunday evening at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor.

Ittihad will visit Al-Shamal on Monday at 7 PM, kicking off their campaign in the current edition of the AFC Champions League Elite, with hopes of a strong start.

Houssem Aouar's departure came early after German coach Jens Wissing decided to rest him and not include him in the squad for the last match against Al-Faisaly.

The decision to exclude the player comes after he suffered a muscle strain during the match against Al-Fayha FC last Tuesday, as the coaching staff preferred to give him enough time to regain his fitness before the AFC Champions League Elite.

Al-Ittihad heads into the AFC Champions League Elite clash with high spirits after temporarily topping the Saudi Pro League with 17 points, following their victory over Al-Faisaly by three goals to one.

Al-Ittihad secured a victory against Al-Faisaly in Al-Majma'ah during the seventh round of the Saudi Pro League, continuing their strong results before moving on to the AFC Champions League Elite.

The Al-Ittihad coaching staff hopes to optimally prepare Aouar for the match against Al-Khor, taking advantage of the rest the player received to avoid a recurrence of muscle fatigue.