By Inzaghi's orders: an elite mini-league prepares Al-Hilal for the Al-Ittihad clásico

Simone Inzaghi has turned to Al-Hilal's under-21 squad to bolster his ranks for the eagerly awaited Clasico against Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Roshn League.

Al-Hilal host Al-Ittihad on 10 October at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the standout fixture of the eighth round of the Roshn League.

According to Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah" , the club got back to work on Tuesday after a long nine-day break during the current international window.

Several players from the under-21 side, currently competing in the Joy Elite League, will feature in training as Inzaghi looks to plug the many gaps in his first-team squad.

"The Leader" must do without Mohammed Al-Owais, Hassan Tambakti, Metaab Al-Harbi, Mohammed Mazrahi, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno and Sultan Mandash, all away with the Saudi national team at the Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27".

Injuries to the roster don't end there. Morocco's Yassine Bounou, Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly, France's Simon Bouabre, the Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville, Portugal's Ruben Neves and Serbia's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are all on international duty too.

A win over Al-Ittihad would keep Al-Hilal top of the table. They lead the way with 18 points, a single point clear of "The Dean" in second.

Al-Hilal's under-21 team, meanwhile, sit fourth in the Joy Elite League on 10 points from three wins, a draw and a defeat, three points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.