Al-Hilal dealt major blow as goalkeeper Al-Owais is ruled out of derby against Al-Nassr

Al-Hilal have been dealt a major blow ahead of Tuesday night’s Riyadh Derby against Al-Nassr after goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais was ruled out for three weeks with an injury picked up on Sunday.

The club’s official Twitter account revealed that the Saudi No. 1 injured his shoulder ligaments and will now undergo a rehabilitation program that will rule him out of the match against the team sitting second in the Roshn Saudi League table.

Al-Owais was one of Saudi Arabia’s standout players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and performed heroically in the historic 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina at Lusail Stadium.

Al-Hilal’s hopes of retaining the league title are slim as they sit in fourth place with 46 points, 10 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad and seven behind Al-Nassr, with seven matches of the season left.