Michael Olunga shakes off injury, available for selection for Al Duhail
By Amanga Collins, September 13, 2024Al Duhail head coach Christophe Galtier has confirmed that striker Michael Olunga will be available for selection in their upcoming match against Al Wakrah on Saturday.
Speaking during a press conference, Galtier acknowledged the challenges of quickly reintegrating players after the recent international break but was pleased with how it helped Olunga recover.
Prepare Michael Olunga
“The international break helped us prepare Michael Olunga and recover him from injury, as he is now ready to participate in the matches. It also allowed me to assess the level of many players and give some young players a chance in the QSL Cup fixtures,” Galtier stated.
The coach revealed that he had closely monitored Al Wakrah and identified several key aspects of their game, notably their strong positioning on the field.
“This match comes after a long break due to the international period, during which many of our players were called up for national team duty. Now, our goal is to refocus our players starting from the next match against Al Wakrah,” Galtier said.
He added that the team had limited preparation time, with only three training sessions before the match.
“We had a strong training session yesterday, despite the absence of some players who were with their national teams. I’ve asked the players to work hard and focus because the upcoming matches won’t be easy. We know the strength of our opponents, starting with Al Wakrah, followed by Al Sadd and other fixtures. We will continue to work with full focus, correcting our mistakes as we progress through the Stars League fixtures,” Galtier said.
Michael Olunga’s spirit
The coach emphasized the importance of playing with team spirit and maintaining focus during the league’s crucial upcoming matches.
Galtier also highlighted the significant changes in the squad compared to last season, noting that Al Duhail had signed 9 or 10 new players across various positions, while Al Wakrah has retained much of their squad and is also competing in the AFC Champions League this season.