While he had not fully recovered from his knee injury sustained during the Algeria-Equatorial Guinea 2/0 match, Riyad Mahrez did not want to miss the clash between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Al Ahly Jeddah 1/1 which took place on Friday evening in Riyadh.
A request that his coach accepted even though he knew that his star striker was not in full possession of his means. Coming off in added time (90’+3), Riyad Mahrez did not deliver a great performance, apart from a ball control in the first half applauded by the entire stadium. Diminished by the injury, he had less impact on Al Ahly’s game. For the record, when he left the field, his team held the victory in its hands, before Al Nassr equalized in the final seconds of the game. When the news of his withdrawal from the EN’s last trip to Monrovia (Liberia) broke, many in the country suspected him of having avoided the distant and tiring trip to Liberia, especially since the match against the Lone Stars was played on synthetic turf, the fear of aggravating his knee injury was also the reason given to justify his withdrawal. However, his intention was to be ready for the clash against Al Nassr, however, watching the match on Friday evening, we realized that his physical problems prevented him from performing well, and everything that was said about his absence for the match against Liberia was just speculation, Mahrez is really injured. The proof, despite the care provided by the Al Ahly medical staff to get him back on his feet, he did not give the impression on Friday of having completely gotten rid of this health problem. However, by asking to participate in this clash, he gained the esteem of the Al Ahly Jeddah supporters who thanked him on social networks for his commitment and his desire to contribute to the success of the team in an important match
A week to recover well
Being the big star of the team, Al Ahly fans are very demanding of him compared to the other players in the squad, certainly the Ahlaoui fans appreciated his dedication to the colors of their club by playing on Friday despite being injured. However, disappointed by the team’s ranking (9th) after 3 days of the Saudi Pro, they demand an immediate reaction from their favorites, and precisely, they expect much more from the former Manchester City star to lift the team to the top by truly launching his season. After granting him extenuating circumstances on Friday, they hope that he will be in full possession of his physical means next Friday for the home match against Damac FC. Moreover, in everyone’s eyes, one week seems enough for Riyad Mahrez to be fully ready for this Friday and therefore help Al Ahly Jeddah win this match.
M.S.
