Saleh Al-Shehri’s injury a bigger blow for Saudi Arabia than for Al-Hilal

You don’t often see a striker scoring a goal then holding aloft the shirt of a rival for a starting spot but that is what Abdullah Al-Hamdan did on April 11. The 22-year-old netted a fine opener in Al-Hilal’s 3-0 win over Al-Rayyan in the second game of Group A in the Asian Champions League. He then paid a visible tribute to Saleh Al-Shehri. It was a routine repeated by Mohammed Kanno after he scored later in the game. 

It was an emotional moment and a sad reminder of events of the previous few days.

In the first group game, Al-Shehri went off injured after scoring the opener in a 2-1 win over Sharjah. The following day it was revealed that Al-Shehri will miss the rest of the Saudi Pro League season at least after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

In his absence, his club colleagues have gone from strength to strength — winning their next three matches and reaching the round of 16 — and kept the Saudi international in their thoughts. But on personal a level, and for the Saudi national team, this injury couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Al-Shehri.

It has been reported that the 28-year-old could be out of action for at least six months, putting his chances of appearing at the 2022 World Cup, which kicks off on November 21, in some doubt. Saudi Arabia have been drawn against Argentina, Poland and Mexico in Group C of the tournament. Al-Shehri was the top scorer in Asia’s World Cup qualification campaign with seven goals.

“Thank you for your messages,” Al-Shehri said in a message to the fans. “God willing, I will come back stronger and better.” He has already gone to Finland for an operation. Then he will return to Riyadh to start his rehabilitation period. 

While Al-Hilal will miss their striker, the club has