Luca Zidane joins Algeria’s growing list of injuries

The string of setbacks continues for Algeria’s national team as goalkeeper Luca Zidane is forced to withdraw from the November training camp.

Following Ramy Bensebaini, Fares Chaïbi, and Mohamed Amine Tougaï, Zidane is the fourth player to step aside, this time due to a muscular injury confirmed by the Algerian Football Federation. Zidane, currently with Granada CF, suffered a quadriceps injury during practice with his club, leading the medical team to release him so he could undergo treatment in Spain.

This news comes just after Zidane’s first call-up to the Algerian squad last month, a special moment for the Real Madrid academy graduate whose roots qualified him for the national team. Coach Vladimir Petkovic had hoped Zidane could boost competition for the starting spot among goalkeepers Alexis Guendouz and Oussama Benbot.

To fill the gap, Zakaria Bouhalfaya of CS Constantine has been called up. With four key players out, Algeria’s preparations for upcoming friendlies against Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia are seriously complicated, testing Petkovic’s ability to build a competitive team before the Africa Cup in December.