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Doha (AFP) – Saudi captain Salman Al-Faraj’s chances of completing his playing career in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have diminished, after it was announced on Wednesday that he had a shin injury.
Al-Faraj picked up a serious injury during Tuesday’s historic 2-1 win against Argentina in Group C at Lusail Stadium. The Saudi national team announced the results of the medical, noting in a statement that it “confirmed that Salman Al-Faraj was injured in the shin.”
The injury forced him off at half time with injury and Nawaf Al-Abed played in his place.
Al-Faraj tried to hold off to complete the game, refusing to make a substitution, and was seen signaling to his French manager, Herve Renard, not to rush, but injury prevented him from completing the game.
He was seen crying during the substitution process, especially as his country were a goal behind, before converting it to a 2–1 second-half win.
“We won’t risk any player. For us, player safety is a red line,” Saudi FA president Yasser Al-Mishal told AFP.
Al-Faraj, 33, is considered one of the pillars of the Saudi national team.
He has just recovered from a serious shoulder injury sustained during the friendly against Iceland in the Abu Dhabi field, to participate in the close confrontation against Argentina, but after half an hour he injured his knee, then he was treated and carried the game through, then fell to the floor in stoppage time in the first half to be substituted.
After the match with Argentina, Renard felt that it would be difficult for the Saudi captain to participate in the remaining matches of the current World Cup, “It will be difficult for Salman Al-Faraj to play another match in this tournament.”
Al-Faraj appeared after the end of the match with Argentina, walking on crutches, with a brace placed on his foot.
And Renard had praised his player: “The captain of the national team and of Al-Hilal is similar in many ways to the Italian Thiago Motta. He has a left foot and an exceptional technique. He is almost the balance of the team.”
Al-Faraj started his international career with the senior national team on 14 October 2012, with a 3-2 friendly win against Congo.
He played 71 international matches, during which he scored 8 goals, including a goal from a penalty kick in a 2-1 win against Egypt in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which Al-Akhdar left early .
Al-Akhdar are set to face their Polish counterpart next Saturday, in the second round of Group C competitions, looking for a second qualifier at the final price after their first participation in 1994.
This is a major blow for Saudi Arabia, especially after the announcement on Wednesday that left-back Yasser Al-Shahrani was undergoing successful surgery in Riyadh after sustaining a serious injury during his country’s historic win against Argentina.
The national team wrote that they underwent “successful pancreatic gland surgery at King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard, with follow-up by national team medical personnel.”
Al-Shahrani had a strong clash with fellow goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, in a joint ball in second-half stoppage time at the Lusail Stadium, which was packed to a crowd of over 88,000.
Al-Shahrani reassured the fans of the national team with a video clip from the hospital: “I wanted to reassure you that my business is good … your prayers for me … and the fans of the Saudi national team deserve to win.”
© 2022 AFP
