Trézéguet's Injury Concerns Impact Club and Country

Trézéguet’s return lasted only minutes. His night, and possibly his month, may have changed with one step.

Back from a hamstring injury that had already forced him to miss Al-Riyadh’s 5-0 thrashing by Al-Ahli in the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League, the Egyptian winger went down early against Al-Khaleej, immediately raising alarm on the touchline.

The concern was not misplaced. Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah reported that the same problem — the hamstring — forced his early withdrawal in the Gulf clash. The Egyptian international will now undergo medical tests and X-rays in the coming hours to determine the exact extent of the damage, how serious it is, and how long he will be out of both training and matches.

The timing could hardly be more brutal.

Trézéguet had been expected to join Egypt’s upcoming camp for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with two games scheduled against Angola and South Sudan on 25 and 29 September. His availability for those fixtures is now in real jeopardy, and so is Egypt’s plan to lean on one of their key wide threats at the start of a new qualifying campaign.

For Al-Riyadh, the setback comes just as he was beginning to find rhythm. This was his sixth appearance of the season across the league and the King’s Cup. He has one goal in the Saudi league and two assists to his name so far — one in the league, one in the cup — numbers that only hint at his broader influence on the team’s attacking play.

On the night, Al-Riyadh still managed to drag something from the game. The result moved them up to 5 points and into twelfth place in the Saudi Roshn Pro League table, with Al-Khaleej sitting just behind on 4 points in thirteenth.

Next, Al-Riyadh head on the road to face Al-Khaloud on Sunday. Whether Trézéguet is on that plane, or watching from the treatment room, may shape more than just their week.