Al-Hilal’s Inzaghi Plans Martinelli and Summerville Left-Side Attack
Simone Inzaghi walked out of the Riyadh derby with three points, a fifth straight league win, and one clear idea in his head: Gabriel Martinelli and Crysencio Summerville will be Al-Hilal’s twin threat from the left.
The Italian watched Martinelli make his debut off the bench in Friday night’s 2-0 victory over Al-Shabab at SHG Arena in the fifth round of the Saudi Roshn League. It was a gentle introduction on the pitch, but a loud statement off it.
Martinelli and Summerville: Same Side, Different Weapons
Asked after the game which of his two new wide stars would claim the right flank in the coming weeks, Inzaghi didn’t hesitate.
“Both players can play on the right side with complete ease,” he said, before laying out the plan that really excites him.
Martinelli entered the derby from the right, stretching Al-Shabab’s back line, but the moment Sabri Dahl came on, Inzaghi flipped the script. The Brazilian moved over to the left, the zone where both he and Summerville truly come alive. That rotation, the coach made clear, will be a recurring theme.
“Today we brought Martinelli in on the right, and after (Sabri) Dahl came on I sent him to play on the left side, and they will be rotated in the upcoming matches,” he explained.
The message is simple: the flanks will be fluid, the left overloaded with pace and aggression, and opponents forced to guess where the damage will come from.
Market Still Open, Defence Still Short
For all the attacking luxury, Inzaghi didn’t hide the area that keeps him busy away from matchdays.
“The market is still open, and the sporting management is doing a great job in the transfer market. We have a need in the defensive line, and we are working on that,” he admitted.
The win over Al-Shabab underlined Al-Hilal’s control and maturity, but it also came with a reminder of how thin things are at the back. Inzaghi described a “struggle in the right-back position,” an issue he has been trying to solve since last season.
He singled out Mohammed Mahzari, a player he has tracked closely.
“I have been monitoring (Mohammed) Mahzari since last season, and he has covered a lot of the shortfall in this position. He is a great player who gives everything he has,” Inzaghi said.
The stopgaps are clear, but so is the need for reinforcements.
Right-Back Puzzle and Injury Juggle
The pressure finally told in midfield and attack, where Al-Hilal dictated the derby from the first whistle.
“We were very focused, we came out strong and controlled the atmosphere of the match,” Inzaghi reflected. “We came back from the Al-Ahli fixture with our energy drained, and today we faced a very strong team in midfield and attack.”
Control, though, came with calculation. The right side of defence remains a makeshift patchwork, and Inzaghi laid out the short-term plan.
“We are waiting for the return of Hamad Al-Yami, and we are also working on preparing Sabri Dahl to be a player in the same position, even though his position is right wing,” he said.
It is a compromise: a winger being reshaped into a full-back, a squad being stretched to cover gaps while the club works the market.
At centre-back, the balancing act is just as delicate. Hassan Tambakti, recently back from a two-month injury layoff, started but did not finish.
“After his two-month injury, he took part in five training sessions and wanted to feature in the Al-Ahli match, but he played today, and his substitution was not due to injury, only because of fatigue,” Inzaghi clarified, keen to shut down any fresh fitness fears.
The list of absentees still matters. “Ali Lajami is injured, we hope he returns as soon as possible. We have a struggle in the defensive line, and we are trying to cover this shortfall, and we have Meshaal Al-Dawood,” he added.
Top of the Table – and Under Pressure
The victory keeps Al-Hilal perfect: five games, five wins, 15 points. They sit three clear at the top of the Roshn League, with Al-Nassr chasing and heading into a tricky clasico against Al-Ittihad on Saturday.
Inzaghi’s team look sharp, ruthless, and increasingly expressive in attack. Martinelli has arrived, Summerville is already embedded, and the rotations on the flanks promise chaos for defenders across the league.
But the story of Al-Hilal’s season may not be written by their wingers. It may be decided by how quickly Inzaghi and his club can fix the fragile defensive line that sits behind them.
