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Doha (AFP) – Saudi captain Salman Al-Faraj’s chances of completing the playing career in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar diminished, following it was announced that he had a shin bone injury on Wednesday.
Al-Faraj was severely injured during the historic 2-1 victory over Argentina on Tuesday in Group C at Lusail Stadium. The Saudi national team announced the results of the medical examinations, noting in a statement that it “confirmed that Salman Al-Faraj was injured in the shin bone.”
The injury forced him to leave at half-time due to injury, and Nawaf Al-Abed played in his place.
Al-Faraj tried to restrain himself in order to complete the match, refusing to make the substitution, and he was seen signaling to his French coach, Herve Renard, not to rush, but the injury prevented him from completing the match.
He was seen crying during the substitution process, especially since his country was trailing by a goal, before turning it into a 2-1 victory in the second half.
“We will not risk any player. For us, the safety of the players is a red line,” Yasser Al-Mishal, president of the Saudi Federation, told AFP.
Al-Faraj, 33, is considered one of the pillars of the pivot players in the Saudi national team.
He just recovered from a strong shoulder injury he suffered during the Iceland friendly in the Abu Dhabi camp, to participate in the strong confrontation once morest Argentina, but he suffered a knee injury following half an hour, then he was treated and completed the match, then he fell to the ground in stoppage time in the first half to be replaced .
After the Argentina match, Renard considered that it would be difficult for the Saudi captain to participate in the remaining matches in the current World Cup, “It will be difficult for Salman Al-Faraj to play another match in this tournament.”
Al-Faraj appeared following the end of the Argentina match, walking on crutches, with a brace placed on his foot.
And Renard had praised his player, “The captain of the national team and the Al-Hilal team is similar in many respects to the Italian Thiago Motta. He has a left foot and exceptional technique. He is almost the balance of the team.”
Al-Faraj started his international career with the senior national team on October 14, 2012, with a friendly victory over Congo 3-2.
He played 71 international matches, during which he scored 8 goals, including a goal from a penalty kick in the 2-1 victory over Egypt in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which Al-Akhdar left early.
Al-Akhdar is preparing to face his Polish counterpart next Saturday, in the second round of Group C competitions, looking for a second qualification to the final price following his first participation in 1994.
This is a strong blow to Saudi Arabia, especially following the announcement on Wednesday that left-back Yasser Al-Shahrani underwent successful surgery in Riyadh, following suffering a severe injury during his country’s historic victory over Argentina.
The national team wrote that it had “successful surgery on the pancreas gland in King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard, with follow-up from the national team’s medical staff.”
Al-Shahrani had a strong collision with fellow goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, in a joint ball in stoppage time of the second half at Lusail Stadium, which was crowded with more than 88,000 spectators.
Al-Shahrani reassured the fans of the national team with a video clip from the hospital, “I wanted to reassure you that my affairs are good.. your prayers for me.. and the fans of the Saudi national team deserve to win.”
© 2022 AFP