Salah Al-Dawsari injury puts Saudi Arabia Gulf Cup participation in serious doubt

Saudi Arabia star Salem Al-Dawsari is facing a race against time to recover from injury and could miss the upcoming Gulf Cup on home soil, according to reports in the Kingdom.

The tournament will be staged in Saudi Arabia from 23 September to 6 October, but Al-Dawsari is unlikely to feature after undergoing surgery on a knee tendon injury and being told he needs around six weeks to regain fitness.

Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah has reported that the 32-year-old Al Hilal captain is expected to be sidelined for approximately a month and a half, a timeframe that leaves his participation in the Gulf Cup in serious doubt.

Surgery and recovery plan

Al-Dawsari, one of Al Hilal’s standout players and a key figure for the national team, underwent what was described as successful surgery on the affected knee tendon last Tuesday.

Following the operation, it was decided that he would begin a structured medical and rehabilitation programme at a specialised medical centre, working under the supervision of Al Hilal’s medical staff.

On 10 July, Al Hilal had already confirmed that Al-Dawsari would require between six and eight weeks of treatment and rehabilitation before he could return to action, a prognosis now echoed by the latest local reports.

World Cup campaign and international record

Al-Dawsari arrived at this summer’s international break after a demanding schedule with the national side at the 2026 World Cup, where he failed to score for Saudi Arabia.

He played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay, then completed another 90 minutes against Spain, and featured for 66 minutes against Cape Verde.

His appearance against Cape Verde marked his 111th cap for the national team, underlining his importance and experience within the squad.

Al-Dawsari is currently the eighth-highest scorer in Saudi Arabia’s history, having registered 26 goals at international level.

Rest period for internationals

The report added that Al Hilal’s management granted Al-Dawsari and the club’s other Saudi internationals an extended break of 18 days following the conclusion of the national team’s involvement at the World Cup finals.

That rest period was designed to allow the players to recover physically and mentally from the demands of the tournament before rejoining club duties and, in Al-Dawsari’s case, beginning his post-surgery rehabilitation.

With the Gulf Cup now less than two months away, the timeline set out by Al Hilal and the latest medical guidance leaves the national team facing the prospect of heading into a regional tournament on home territory without one of its most influential and decorated players.