Al Ahli are building momentum at a critical point of the season, but the injury crisis surrounding the squad threatens to undermine their push up the Saudi Pro League table. The 3-2 victory over Al-Fayha on October 19 moved them to fifth place with 18 points from nine games, continuing a positive run of results since the last international break. Artem Bondarenko scored twice and Firas Al-Buraikan added a third to seal the win, though the match was not without controversy. Al-Fayha coach Fabio Carille publicly questioned the result, citing stoppage time decisions, and a refereeing expert subsequently defended the outcome in Al Ahli's favour.

The bigger concern for coach Marino Bositch is the mounting injury list. Ivan Toney was already sidelined before the Al-Fayha match, and a further injury was picked up during that game, deepening the squad's problems. Despite leading the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 11 goals, Toney's absence leaves a significant gap in attacking options. Al-Fayha's Brazilian coach was not the only one raising eyebrows this week: logistics problems in the league forced the postponement of Al Ahli's Matchday 11 fixture against Al Khaleej, which had been scheduled for October 23. That match will now be rescheduled, giving the squad some breathing space to recover, though the fixture congestion ahead remains a real challenge.