Karim Benzema could be ruled out of Al-Ittihad’s travelling squad to face Al-Akhdoud on Thursday according to reports.
Al-Ittihad are set to continue their Saudi Pro League title defence as the competition resumes after the end of the international break.
The Tigers have had a bright start to the new campaign, picking up 12 points from their opening five games this season.
Their only defeat came against arch-rivals Al-Hilal in the Saudi El Clasico two weeks ago after losing 4-3 to the Blues despite leading by two goals in the second half.
They will be hoping to turn around their results against Al-Akhdoud, but the champions were dealt a huge blow just hours before the game.
According to local reports, summer-signing Karim Benzema missed Al-Ittihad’s training on Tuesday for unknown reasons.
However, the 35-year-old was spotted in training a day later as he showed up for their final session before making the trip to Najran.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner has been a key part of Al-Ittihad’s lineup having started in all their league games so far, scoring twice and providing two assists.
Brazilian winger Igor Coronado could also miss out on the game after sustaining an injury against Al-Hilal before the international break.
To make matters worse, Jota is said to be suffering from a slight knock but the Portuguese is expected to be part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
Meanwhile, their latest acquisition Luiz Felipe could be making his debut for Al-Ittihad on Thursday after completing a £18.9 million move from Real Betis over a week ago.