Al-Ittihad Saudi Club received a painful blow at a sensitive time in the season, after medical tests confirmed that its young player, Moaz Faqihi, was injured in the foot joint, an injury that will keep him out of the field for approximately four weeks, which constitutes an impressive loss for the team in the next stage.
Press reports indicated that Faqihi’s injury, which he suffered during the last confrontation with Al-Fayhaa in the fifth round of the Saudi Roshan League, was stronger than initially expected, which forced the medical team to put him in an intensive treatment and rehabilitation program in the hope of his quick recovery before the end of next month.
Al-Ittihad loses one of its important elements in three fateful confrontations
The injury will make Al-Ittihad miss Fakihi’s services in three prominent matches, most notably against Al-Shorta of Iraq in the AFC Elite Champions League, then facing Al-Hilal in the sixth round of the Roshan League, before facing Al-Nasr in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
The player is expected to return to participate in group training as soon as his recovery is complete and his physical fitness is restored, in an attempt to catch up with the upcoming decisive matches that await the “Dean.”
The results of the union between oscillation and ambition
Al-Ittihad is going through a period of relative decline in results, despite the strong start to the season. The team, led by its Portuguese coach Sergio Conceicao, tied on Friday evening against Al-Fayhaa with a similar goal, raising its score to 10 points after five rounds of the league, collected from 3 wins, a draw and one defeat.
The only loss came to Al-Nasr in the fourth round, in a confrontation that brought to mind the team’s loss to the same opponent in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final with a score of (1-2), a defeat that deprived it of competing for the first titles of the season and raised questions among its fans about its readiness for the competition.
Continental suffering increases pressure
On the continental level, Al-Ittihad’s start in the AFC Elite Champions League was not ideal, as the team suffered two consecutive defeats against Al-Wahda of the Emirates and Shabab Al-Ahly Dubai in the first two rounds of the group stage, finding itself in a difficult position early in the tournament, which it is considered one of the most prominent candidates to win.
Despite this temporary decline, Al-Ittihad fans are still optimistic about the team’s ability to regain its balance in the coming weeks, especially with its possession of a distinguished group of local and foreign players, in addition to the experience of coach Conceicao, who seeks to stabilize his tactical style and return the dean to the path of victories locally and continentally.
With this scene, Al-Ittihad is entering a critical phase of its season, amid the ambition of its fans to overcome obstacles and injuries, and restore the character of the champion team that competes for all championships without exception.
