Al-Nassr Faces Setback as Rakan Al-Ghamdi Injured

Al-Nassr’s preparations for the Roshn League restart have been hit hard, with one of their most promising youngsters ruled out for more than a month in a setback that hurts both the first team and the under-21s.

Medical tests have confirmed that 21-year-old Rakan Al-Ghamdi has suffered a sprained knee ligament along with cartilage bruising, an injury expected to keep him out for between four and six weeks, according to Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah.

Cruel timing for a breakthrough talent

The diagnosis could hardly have come at a worse moment for the midfielder. Al-Ghamdi had just begun to force his way into the first-team picture, rewarded for his progress with a senior debut by Australian coach Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou brought him on in the second half against UAE side Al-Ain in the opening round of the AFC Champions League Elite. The night ended in disappointment with a 4-0 defeat for Al-Nassr, but for Al-Ghamdi it still marked a personal milestone: a first official appearance in continental competition and a sign that the coaching staff had started to trust him.

Now that momentum has been abruptly cut short.

Blow for first team and under-21s

The damage is not confined to the senior squad. Al-Ghamdi has been a key figure for Al-Nassr’s under-21 side, and it was with that group that disaster struck.

He picked up the injury during the final training session before the under-21 clash with Damac last Friday in the Joy League Elite. Al-Nassr went on to win that game 1-0, but the victory came at a cost: they lost a player who had been central to their plans at youth level and increasingly involved with the seniors.

For the club, it is a double loss. The first team is deprived of a fresh option who had just begun to earn minutes. The under-21s, already in a demanding phase of their season, must cope without a regular starter at a time when every available body matters.

With an absence that could stretch to six weeks, both setups will have to adjust quickly.

Roshn League race tightens

The timing of the injury adds another headache for the technical staff as Al-Nassr head back into league duty. The first-team squad is scheduled to return to training on Monday evening after being given time off following their Asian assignment.

Attention now turns to the resumption of the Roshn League, where Al-Nassr sit third on 16 points, just two behind leaders Al-Hilal. The margin for error is slim, and squad depth will be tested.

Al-Nassr resume their campaign on 9 October at Al-Awwal Park, hosting Al-Diriyah in the eighth round. It is the kind of fixture where rotation and youthful energy can make a difference.

Without Al-Ghamdi, one of those emerging options has suddenly disappeared.