Shoulder blow threatens Nawaf Al-Aqidi’s place in Al Nassr season opener

Nawaf Al-Aqidi is a doubt for Al Nassr’s opening Roshn Saudi League match against Al Fateh after suffering a shoulder knock in training.

Al Nassr begin their campaign on Saturday when they host Al Fateh at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, with Al-Aqidi’s availability now set to be decided shortly before kick-off.

The Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah reports that the goalkeeper sustained the injury during training at the start of this week. The problem could prevent him from featuring in the first fixture of the new league season.

Al Nassr’s Portuguese doctor Carlos Miguel is expected to make the final decision after assessing Al-Aqidi’s condition before the team’s final training session on Friday evening.

The goalkeeper’s fitness concern comes after he was linked with a move away from Al Nassr during the current summer transfer window. Al-Aqidi had been reported to be close to leaving the club after Al Nassr rejected his conditions for a new contract.

His name was subsequently associated with both Al Fateh and Al Shabab, although no formal agreement has been completed with either club.

Despite those reports, his possible absence from Saturday’s game is understood to be the result of the shoulder injury rather than his transfer situation. Al Nassr must now wait for the medical assessment before confirming whether he will be involved against Al Fateh.

Al-Aqidi was Al Nassr’s first-choice goalkeeper during the first half of last season. However, he later lost his place to Brazilian goalkeeper Bento following mistakes in matches against Al Qadsiah and Al Hilal in the Roshn Saudi League.

The Saudi goalkeeper is seeking more playing time during the new campaign as he attempts to regain his position with the national team. He lost that role to the experienced Mohammed Al-Owais.

A stronger run of regular club appearances could therefore be important to Al-Aqidi’s international ambitions, but his immediate priority is establishing whether he can pass Friday’s assessment and take part in Al Nassr’s opening league fixture.

Al Nassr’s meeting with Al Fateh will be played at Al-Awwal Park, where the Riyadh club will begin their attempt to make a positive start to the new Roshn Saudi League season. Further details on Al-Aqidi’s status are expected after the final training session.