Youssef Belammari Injury Scare for Al Ahly's Pre-Season

Al Ahly’s preparations for a redemption season have been jolted by an injury to Moroccan winger Youssef Belammari during a friendly in Spain on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old, who joined the Cairo giants from Raja Casablanca in January on a three-and-a-half-year deal, suffered a knee sprain in the match against Spanish side Badalona at the “Bosc de Tosca” municipal stadium.

He did not finish the game.

Al Ahly announced through their official channels that Belammari was taken straight to hospital for medical examinations and X-rays. The medical team will use those tests to determine the exact nature of the damage and how long the player will be out of training and competition.

For now, the club is waiting on answers. The scans will show whether the sprain is relatively minor or whether Belammari faces a longer spell of treatment and rehabilitation before he can return to the pitch.

It is a worrying moment for a squad already under pressure.

Al Ahly are in Spain trying to reset after a bruising campaign in which they failed to win a single major title, domestically or in Africa. The friendly against Badalona formed part of a carefully planned pre-season designed to sharpen the team and restore some of the aura that deserted the Red Devils last term.

Belammari was brought in mid-season as part of that rebuild, viewed as a player who could add direct running and creativity on the flank. Any extended absence now would disrupt those plans just as the technical staff attempt to fine-tune the side for a year in which failure will not be tolerated.

The verdict from the medical team will not just define Belammari’s short-term future. It will shape how Al Ahly approach the opening stretch of a season they simply cannot afford to get wrong.