Al Nassr’s perfect start checked by injuries to Maran and Al Nasser

Al Nassr will be without Mohamed Maran for up to six weeks and Saad Al Nasser for one week after medical examinations revealed injuries to both players ahead of their next Roshn Saudi League match.

The two players will miss training for different periods as Al Nassr prepare to continue their defence of the league title. Maran has suffered a tear to his hamstring, while Al Nasser sustained a bruised foot joint.

According to Saudi newspaper Al Riyadiya, scans confirmed the extent of Maran’s injury and ruled him out of training and running for as long as six weeks. Al Nasser is expected to be absent from training for a week because of the bruising.

His injury occurred during Al Nassr’s opening league fixture against Al Fateh on Saturday. The midfielder was forced to leave the pitch in the 18th minute after experiencing pain in his foot joint. Al Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou made the substitution as the player was unable to continue.

As a result, Al Nasser will miss Friday’s meeting with Al Riyadh, which is scheduled to take place in the second round of the Roshn Saudi League.

Maran was injured later in the same match after coming on as a substitute for Abdullah Al Hamdan in the 77th minute. The timing of the injury means Al Nassr must now manage the loss of two squad players at the start of their campaign, with Maran facing the longer period on the sidelines.

Al Nassr resumed preparations for their next fixture on Wednesday. Players who started the King’s Cup match against Al-Diriyah took part in recovery work, while the wider squad began the next stage of preparation for the league encounter.

Postecoglou is expected to begin the team’s direct tactical work ahead of the match against Al Riyadh. The game will kick off at 21:00 local time on Friday at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh.

Despite the injury concerns, Al Nassr have made an encouraging start to the season. They opened their Roshn Saudi League campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Al Fateh.

They then strengthened that positive beginning by reaching the last 16 of the King’s Cup, beating Al-Diriyah 4-1. The early results have given Al Nassr momentum in both competitions, but the injuries to Maran and Al Nasser have created an immediate selection issue before the visit of Al Riyadh.

The club are seeking to maintain their strong opening while continuing their bid to retain the Roshn Saudi League title.