Hours after news broke that Barcelona had submitted their final offer for young Al Ahly talent Hamza Abdelkarim, the winger suffered an untimely injury that briefly silenced the excitement around his future.
Abdelkarim was forced off in the first half of Al Ahly’s match against Al Mokawloon Al Arab in the fourth round of the Cairo Capital Cup on Tuesday.
Al Ahly team doctor Ahmed Gaballah explained that the youngster felt pain in his foot and ankle following a heavy knock during the game.
“Hamza complained of pain in the foot and ankle as a result of a strong blow he received against Al Mokawloon,” Gaballah said, adding that the substitution was made to avoid aggravating the problem.
Gaballah stressed that taking Abdelkarim off was a precautionary step to protect the player at a delicate moment in his career.
Earlier in the day, beIN Sports reporter Basel Tabbal revealed that Barcelona had sent what is described as their last proposal to Al Ahly to sign the promising 19-year-old, with talks said to be very close to a conclusion.
