Salem Al-Dawsari on road to recovery after surgery

DUBAI: Al-Hilal and Saudi Arabia captain Salem Al-Dawsari has begun the first phase of his rehabilitation program after undergoing surgery on a knee tendon last July in Helsinki.

Al-Dawsari, according to close sources, had his stitches removed two days ago and is now set to start his recovery.

On July 10, Al-Nassr’s official website revealed the 34-year-old would require a rehabilitation program lasting between six and eight weeks following the surgery.

Al-Dawsari has been with Al-Hilal since 2011, first  joining the club’s U-21 squad before being promoted to the first team that same season. Ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he had a six-month loan period at La Liga club Villarreal in Spain, before returning to Al-Hilal. It is the only time in his professional career that he was not an Al-Hilal player.

In his 15 years at the club, Al-Dawsari has played 484 matches, scoring 141 goals and providing 109 assists. He also has 110 international caps and 26 goals for the Saudi national team, most famously scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 win against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Meanwhile on Saturday, the rest of Al-Hilal’s squad underwent routine medical examinations as part of the team’s preseason program. The players then continued their training program on at Al-Majdiyah Sports Center at Princess Nourah University, focusing on physical and technical aspects.

Al-Hilal are set to kick off their 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign  against Al-Faisaly on Friday, Aug. 14, followed 48 hours later by a match against Al-Raed in the Round of 32 of the King’s Cup in Buraidah.