Trézéguet Injury Scare Disrupts Al-Riyadh and Egypt Plans

Trézéguet’s return was supposed to steady Al-Riyadh after a bruising week. Instead, it has opened up a fresh crisis for club and country.

Back from a hamstring problem that had already ruled him out of the 5-0 thrashing by Al-Ahli in the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League, the Egyptian winger went down early against Al-Khaleej, sparking instant concern on the touchline. He tried to continue. He couldn’t.

Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiah reported that the same hamstring issue forced his early exit, raising serious questions about whether he had truly been ready to start this Gulf clash at all.

Now comes the wait. Trézéguét will undergo medical tests and X-rays in the coming hours to determine the exact extent of the damage, how severe the setback is, and how long he will be out of both training and matches. For Al-Riyadh, it is a worry. For Egypt, it is a potential headache.

The timing could hardly be worse for the national team. Trézéguét had been expected to join Egypt’s upcoming camp for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with two games on the horizon against Angola and South Sudan on 25 and 29 September. His status for those fixtures is now in real doubt.

Up to this point, the 29-year-old’s season had been quietly productive. This was his sixth appearance for Al-Riyadh across the league and the King’s Cup. He has one goal in the Saudi league and two assists to his name, split between the league and the cup, offering flashes of the creativity and end product his coaches rely on.

On the night, at least, Al-Riyadh salvaged something. The result pushed them up to 5 points and into twelfth place, with Al-Khaleej sitting just behind on 4 points in thirteenth in the Saudi Roshn Pro League table. It is a fragile platform, but a platform nonetheless.

Next, Al-Riyadh head on the road to face Al-Khaloud on Sunday. Whether Trézéguét is on that plane, or watching from the treatment room, could shape the early course of their season.