Major blow: Nawaf Al-Aqidi's injury shocks Al-Nassr and Saudi Arabia
The international goalkeeper on shaky ground
Nawaf Al-Aqidi's injury was no passing detail in the opening of Saudi Arabia's Gulf Cup 27 campaign. Additional medical examinations revealed a slight tear in the elbow and hand joint, leaving the goalkeeper facing a new period of treatment and rehabilitation. That, in turn, opened up a wave of questions over the options available to Al-Nassr and the national team in the coming weeks.
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Doctors carried out the examinations on Sunday, once the swelling in the injured area had subsided, and they revealed more precise details about Al-Aqidi's condition. Initial tests had confirmed an injury to his right elbow, the problem that forced him out of the Saudi national team's camp in Jeddah on Friday.
According to "Al-Riyadiah" sources, the injury requires around five weeks of treatment and rehabilitation.
It all traces back to the 78th minute of the match against Kuwait. Al-Aqidi tried to clear a cross following a free-kick, then went down injured and left the pitch. The scene did not look serious at first. Yet the subsequent examinations revealed a slight tear, turning a forced exit during a match into a spell on the sidelines that reshapes the calculations of the technical and medical staffs.
The length of treatment is only part of the picture. Attention now turns to the next step in his rehabilitation programme, with the staff leaning towards sending him abroad to complete his treatment and recovery.
Al-Nassr and the Saudi national team will settle on the country and the doctor after coordination between their respective medical staffs, a step that underlines how much they want the most suitable programme for the goalkeeper's return.
His absence lands at a moment when both Al-Nassr and the national team crave stability between the posts, particularly with the goalkeeper now central to both sides' plans. That makes the coming five weeks a crucial phase in shaping the available options, and in testing whether the alternatives can cope without the situation spiralling into a bigger crisis.
From an attempt to clear a ball to a tear requiring weeks of rehabilitation, Nawaf Al-Aqidi now enters a different phase. The aim is regaining full readiness rather than rushing back. The medical decision over the coming days, along with the choice of rehabilitation base and the doctor overseeing the programme, will prove central to his road back, while Al-Nassr and the Saudi national team wait for the journey to finish with the least possible impact on their plans.
