Hassan Tambakti Returns to Training for Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal have just taken a big step towards shoring up their most fragile line.
Hassan Tambakti is back on the grass.
The Saudi international defender returned to training today, joining in the first phase of the session and handing Simone Inzaghi a badly needed boost as the season edges into its most punishing stretch.
A long wait ends
Tambakti has been out for weeks after picking up an injury while on duty with the Saudi national team during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The setback forced him into a strict treatment and rehabilitation programme, all geared towards restoring his full physical and technical sharpness.
Today brought the first real sign that the process is working. Tambakti completed the opening part of the workout with his teammates, a clear indicator that his full reintegration into the group is getting close. His return to official matches will still depend on how quickly he reaches complete fitness and on Inzaghi’s call, but the direction is finally positive.
Defence under strain
The timing matters.
Al-Hilal’s backline has creaked in recent weeks. Spaces have appeared through the middle, individual errors have crept in, and several defenders have seen their form dip at the same time. For a team with title ambitions on multiple fronts, that vulnerability has been impossible to ignore.
Inzaghi needs reliability at the heart of his defence. Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly has struggled to hit his best level, leaving the Italian coach short of truly convincing options in the central areas. Tambakti’s re-emergence changes that picture.
A key piece returns
With Tambakti available again, Inzaghi can start to redraw his defensive map. The defender’s strengths are well known inside the club: aggressive but controlled duels, sharp cover behind the line, and a strong reading of danger before it fully develops.
He offers more than just clean tackles and clearances. His experience in big matches and his ability to stay locked in during high-pressure clashes carry real weight in Al-Hilal’s plans. Those are precisely the qualities “the Boss” will lean on as decisive fixtures stack up in league and cup campaigns.
For now, it is only the first phase of training. But it is also the first real glimpse of a solution.
If Tambakti can quickly regain full sharpness, Inzaghi may finally regain the defensive anchor he needs to give Al-Hilal’s backline the solidity and balance that have been missing at the very moment the season demands the most.
