Algeria receive Himad Abdelli boost but Samir Chergui injury clouds Niger friendly

Himad Abdelli has returned to full team training for Algeria, but Samir Chergui missed Saturday’s session and is a doubt for Tuesday’s friendly against Niger.

The Algeria squad are preparing for their third and final match of the current international window after drawing 2-2 with Burundi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Fennecs will face Niger at the Hocine-Ait-Ahmed Stadium in Tizi-Ouzou on Tuesday 6 October, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00. The fixture is expected to give new head coach Brahim Hemdani another opportunity to assess his players and continue experimenting with his squad.

According to DZ Foot, Abdelli took part in normal collective training at the Centre technique national de Sidi Moussa on Saturday.

The Angers SCO midfielder was forced to work indoors during the previous session after sustaining an injury during the trip to Burundi. His return to his team-mates is therefore a positive indication and increases the likelihood that he could feature against Niger.

Abdelli’s progress will be welcomed by Hemdani as the coach continues his review of the squad following the first two matches of his tenure. The friendly could allow him to give further opportunities to players who have had limited involvement so far during the camp.

Chergui’s situation is less encouraging. DZ Foot reported that the Paris FC defender was the only player absent from the group session, which began at 18:00 on Saturday.

The right-back faced difficulties during the match against Burundi, when he was repeatedly challenged by the dribbling of Jean-Claude Girumugisha. His absence from collective training now places his involvement against Niger in doubt.

Chergui completed an individual programme under the supervision of fitness coach Nasser Daineche. Algeria have not officially confirmed that he will miss the match, meaning his condition will need to be assessed during the final training session before the friendly.

The Niger game will bring Algeria’s current gathering to a close. It should also give Hemdani the chance to distribute playing time among several squad members who have so far been used sparingly.