The number of injuries during the current gathering of Saudi football’s first team increased to eight, following a complaint by winger Abdul Rahman Ghraib and Abdul Ilah al-Maliki, a midfielder, of knee pain during Monday’s training in Tajikistan, whose team faces his guest “Green” on Tuesday in the joint qualifiers for the 2026 World Cups and Asia ps 2027.
When the team’s camp began, Sunday before last in Riyadh, it was joined by 26 players, selected by Italian coach Roberto Mancini, including three injured, namely defender Walid al-Ahmad, Abdullah al-Khibari, midfielder, and Warfare Tired, left-back.
Prior to the end of the camp’s first day, the decision was made, based on the results of medical examinations, to exclude them for lack of readiness, and to include Mohamed Barrik, the right-back, to compensate for the numerical shortage.
While winger Ayman Yahya remained inside the camp, despite his injury, he recovered and joined team training ahead of Tajikistan’s first game, last Thursday.
During the match, which was won by the Saudis 1/0, the defender, Aoun al-Saluli, was injured and had to leave the pitch of the “First Park” stadium.
But the medical examinations came with reassurance, and the player continued with the recall group.
Two days before Tajikistan’s second game, the coaching staff decided to rule out Nasser Al-Dosari, left-back and midfielder, for injury.
In addition to the injured, defender Ali Belehi was released from the camp, after being suspended as a result of the accumulation of cards, and Saud Abdul Hamid, right-back, due to his father’s death.
During the team’s only training, in Dushanbe, Tajik capital, Maliki and Gharib felt knee pain and were unable to complete recent preparations.
