Al Ahly’s Youssef Belammari undergoes successful ACL surgery

Al Ahly left-back Youssef Belammari has undergone successful surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club has announced.

The procedure was performed in a Munich hospital under the supervision of German specialist Christian Bral, according to Al Ahly doctor Ahmad Gaballah.

Belammari underwent arthroscopic surgery as part of the reconstruction of his anterior cruciate ligament. He was accompanied during his journey to Germany by Dr Alaa Mamoun, the club’s deputy head of medical affairs.

The Morocco international is expected to leave hospital within 48 hours and return to Morocco, where he will begin the first stage of his rehabilitation programme. That work will be carried out in coordination with the medical staff of the Morocco national team.

Belammari suffered the injury during Al Ahly’s friendly against Spanish side Badalona at the club’s training camp in Spain. The full-back was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out for a significant period.

Al Ahly played three friendly matches during the camp and concluded their preparations with a meeting against Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy. The Catalan side won that match 2-1.

The injury is a major setback for Belammari, who joined Al Ahly in January 2026 on a three-and-a-half-year contract. Since arriving at the club, he has made 19 appearances in all competitions.

Al Ahly began their league campaign with a 3-2 victory against Eastern Company ENPPI. They are scheduled to face ZED FC on Friday in the second round.

The club did not provide a timescale for Belammari’s return to competitive football. Recovery from anterior cruciate ligament surgery generally involves several stages, beginning with medical rehabilitation before a gradual return to training, although the length of each stage depends on the player’s progress and the assessment of the medical teams.

For now, Belammari will continue his recovery in Morocco after completing the initial post-operative period in Germany. Al Ahly and the Morocco national team’s medical staff will coordinate the next steps of his rehabilitation.