Al-Hilal claimed an important 2-0 victory over Al-Fateh on Saturday evening in the twelfth round of the Saudi Roshn Pro League, but the leaders' joy was not complete. A blow awaits them in their next match, with Portuguese star Ruben Neves ruled out of the clash against Al-Ettifaq through suspension.
The problem arrived in the 74th minute against Al-Fateh. Neves picked up a yellow card, his fourth of the league season, and that triggers an automatic one-match ban under the regulation suspending any player who collects four bookings.
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That final card stung all the more because Neves had been running the show. He did not just lead his side on the night, he scored the second goal from a penalty in the 91st minute, confirming his influence on the win before the booking turned into unwelcome news for Simone Inzaghi and his staff.
Three earlier yellows, against Al-Khaleej, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah, had left the Portuguese star one away from a ban. The fourth against Al-Fateh completed the set. His absence from the thirteenth-round meeting with Al-Ettifaq is now a certainty, at a time when Al-Hilal need to maintain their stability and keep the positive results coming.
Losing Neves is a genuine tactical headache for Inzaghi. The Portuguese midfielder organises play, links the lines, helps build attacks and controls the team's tempo. The Italian must now find a suitable replacement to cover for him while keeping balance in the middle of the pitch.
So Al-Hilal left the Al-Fateh match with three points that strengthened their grip on top of the Roshn League. In return they lost one of their most prominent players ahead of the test against Al-Ettifaq. One yellow card for Neves has become a detail big enough to force Inzaghi to rearrange his calculations in the thirteenth round.