Trézéguet's Hamstring Injury: Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations Hopes in Jeopardy

Trézéguet’s return lasted only a few painful minutes.

Back from a hamstring injury that had already ruled him out of Al-Riyadh’s 5-0 thrashing by Al-Ahli in the fifth round of the Saudi Pro League, the Egyptian winger went down early again against Al-Khaleej, sparking immediate concern on the touchline.

He tried to carry on. He couldn’t.

Saudi outlet Al-Riyadiah reported that the same hamstring problem forced his early withdrawal in the Gulf clash, raising serious questions over whether he had been fully ready to start.

Now comes the anxious wait. Trézéguet will undergo medical tests and X-rays in the coming hours to determine the exact extent of the damage, how serious the recurrence is, and how long he will be out of both training and matches.

The setback could not have come at a worse moment.

The 29-year-old was widely expected to join Egypt’s upcoming camp for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with two key fixtures against Angola and South Sudan scheduled for 25 and 29 September. His availability for those games is suddenly in real doubt, a potential blow for the national team’s plans.

Until the injury struck, this season had been building steadily for him at club level.

The Al-Riyadh winger has now featured six times across the Saudi league and the King’s Cup, contributing one goal in the league and two assists – one in each competition – as he settled into his new surroundings.

On the night, Al-Riyadh at least found some consolation in the table.

Their draw lifted them to 5 points and twelfth place in the Saudi Roshn Pro League, with Al-Khaleej sitting just behind on 4 points in thirteenth.

For the club, the focus turns quickly to Sunday’s trip to face Al-Khaloud.

For Trézégué and Egypt, everything hinges on what those scans reveal.