Ali Lajami forced off as Al Hilal’s derby dominance is halted by injury

Al Hilal defender Ali Lajami was forced to leave the field with a muscle injury during his side’s Saudi Roshn League match against Al Ahli on Tuesday, putting his availability for the club’s next fixtures in doubt.

Al Hilal were hosting Al Ahli at Kingdom Arena in a rearranged fixture from the third round of the Saudi Roshn League. The home side had made an outstanding start to the classic encounter, scoring twice inside the opening 23 minutes and controlling possession almost completely in the final third.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring before Crysencio Summerville added a second, giving Al Hilal a commanding advantage and putting their supporters in full voice.

However, the mood changed in the 25th minute when Lajami suffered an injury while attempting to clear the ball. The Saudi defender appeared to pull a muscle without any contact from an opposing player.

Lajami received treatment before being unable to continue, leaving manager Simone Inzaghi concerned about the possible extent of the problem and its impact on the matches ahead. The defender was subsequently replaced by Hassan Tambakti a few minutes later.

Lajami is expected to undergo medical examinations in the coming hours. Those tests will determine the severity of the injury and provide a clearer indication of how long he may be unavailable.

A video posted during the match showed Lajami leaving the pitch injured, accompanied by the caption: “Lajami goes off injured”.

The timing of the setback could prove significant for Al Hilal, who face a demanding period in the Saudi Roshn League. They are scheduled to play Al Shabab on Friday before meeting Neom on Monday.

Those matches are the fifth and sixth rounds of the competition, meaning Inzaghi may have to manage his squad carefully if Lajami is ruled out.

The injury interrupted an otherwise impressive opening from Al Hilal, who had quickly established control against Al Ahli and created a two-goal cushion before the defender’s departure. Further assessment will be required before the club can confirm whether Lajami will miss either of the upcoming league fixtures.