Al-Ittihad without Predrag Rajkovic for next two matches

Al-Ittihad will be without first-choice goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic for their next two fixtures in the Roshn Saudi League and AFC Champions League Elite.

The Serbia international missed Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Al-Fayha in the sixth round of the league after suffering a tear in the abdominal muscle wall. The injury was announced by the club before the match.

Rajkovic had played a part in Al-Ittihad’s previous 2-1 win, against Al-Nassr, but has not recovered in time to return for the team’s upcoming games.

The 29-year-old will also miss Al-Ittihad’s meeting with Al-Faisaly in round seven of the Roshn Saudi League. He is then expected to be unavailable for the club’s opening league-phase fixture in the western region of the AFC Champions League Elite, against Qatar’s Al-Shamal.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah reported that Rajkovic is not expected to resume full team training until after the international break that coincides with Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Gulf Cup.

His return to group training “will be after the international break coinciding with the participation of the Saudi national team in the Gulf Cup”, according to the report.

The Gulf Cup is scheduled to take place from 23 September to 6 October.

Al-Ittihad had already confirmed that Rajkovic would be absent against Al-Fayha, alongside Ahmed Al-Jalidan and Mukhtar Ali, with the three players ruled out because of different injuries.

Despite the goalkeeper’s absence, Al-Ittihad secured their second consecutive 2-1 victory. The result followed their win over Al-Nassr in the previous round and maintained their progress in the opening stages of the league campaign.

Rajkovic’s continued absence means Al-Ittihad will have to rely on their reserve goalkeeper for both the domestic fixture against Al-Faisaly and their first AFC Champions League Elite match of the season. The club’s next continental opponents, Al-Shamal, will provide the first test of their campaign in the western region’s league phase.

The Serbian goalkeeper’s injury therefore leaves Al-Ittihad without a key player during a period in which the club is competing in both domestic and Asian football. His availability is expected to be reassessed once the Gulf Cup break has ended.