Tensions are running high in the Al-Hilal corridors over the situation surrounding Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo this season.
According to sources at Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah", coach Simone Inzaghi left Cancelo out of the squad for the match against Al-Faisaly, citing his lack of physical readiness to compete. Uncertainty over the Portuguese's future rumbles on.
Just one week ago, Al-Hilal forced the full-back back into training after failing to reach an agreement with Barcelona over a possible transfer.
Cancelo's unexpected return to Arabic football came so he could see out the final year of his contract, which remains in force, following the end of his granted leave.
What unfolded over the last few hours went further, the newspaper says. Inzaghi ordered Cancelo out of the squad because the defender sits outside the coach's plans, and Inzaghi has no wish for now to bring him into the team's competitive group.
Al-Hilal open their Roshn League campaign today, Friday, against Al-Faisaly at the Kingdom Arena stadium in Riyadh.
Those same sources say Inzaghi dropped Cancelo because he does not see him in suitable physical condition to compete.
Spanish newspaper "Sport" reported that the move is a controversial one. The Portuguese has trained with the team for a week and was expected to have reached a minimum level of readiness that would at least earn him a place in the squad.
The rift between coach and player is no secret. Inzaghi himself asked the club several months ago to explore the transfer market and find a destination for Cancelo, who had fallen out of his thinking, whether stuck on the bench or left out of squads altogether.
Now the story repeats itself. Cancelo still cannot win Inzaghi over, and the resolution of his future drags on far longer than anyone expected.
Talks between Al-Hilal and Barcelona hit a dead end in recent weeks over the transfer of the full-back wanted by Hansi Flick.
The Saudi club are still holding firm on a 10 million euro fee to let the Portuguese international go. Barcelona, meanwhile, demanded a notable reduction in the value of the deal and asked to explore other routes towards a more reasonable solution.