Before it even began: a friendly ends the season of an Al-Ittihad player

FBL-KSA-NASSR-ITTIHAD

The Tigers in crisis

One of Al-Ittihad's players has seen his Saudi season end before it even began, cut short by a serious injury in a club friendly.

Al-Ittihad confirmed the news through their official "X" account, announcing that Hamed Al-Ghamdi had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

The Saudi club explained that Al-Ghamdi picked up the injury during the 3-2 win over South Africa's Orlando Pirates last Tuesday evening, their first friendly in the Spanish city of Marbella ahead of the new campaign.

Arrangements are now being made for the player to undergo surgery in the coming days, after which he will begin his treatment and rehabilitation programme.

A return for the 27-year-old with "the Tigers" this season looks all but impossible. His season is over before it started.

This is a heavy blow to Al-Ittihad. The club already lack numbers in midfield, a problem sharpened by the injury to fellow midfielder, Mali's Mamadou Doumbia.

Reinforcements in that area are firmly on the agenda, with several names linked: Egyptians Emam Ashour and Marwan Attia, Moroccans Azzedine Ounahi and Sofyan Amrabat, and Nigerians Raphael Onyedika and Wilfred Ndidi.

Al-Ghamdi made 11 appearances for "the Dean" across all competitions last season, without a goal or an assist to his name.