Zakaria Hawsawi injury puts Saudi Arabia’s Qatar clash in doubt

Saudi Arabia are waiting for further medical tests on Zakaria Hawsawi after the forward suffered a heavy knee bruise, leaving his participation against Qatar in doubt.

Hawsawi is regarded as an important attacking option by head coach Georgios Donis, but his availability for the much-anticipated meeting will depend on how he responds to treatment and movement tests.

According to Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, Hawsawi completed a swimming-pool session on today as part of a rehabilitation programme designed to manage the injury. He is due to undergo another assessment tomorrow, when the medical team will examine the problem in greater detail and determine how much it is affecting his movement.

The next test is expected to involve Hawsawi walking on his injured leg. Medical staff will assess the level of pain he experiences while moving before deciding whether he can continue preparing for the match against Qatar.

The situation leaves Donis facing the possible loss of one of his key attacking choices at a particularly delicate stage of preparations. With little time remaining before the fixture, Saudi Arabia have limited scope to take risks over the player’s fitness.

Hawsawi’s physical condition will therefore be the decisive factor in determining whether he remains in contention for the game. The coaching and medical teams will make a final decision after tomorrow’s examination.

If the pain has eased sufficiently, Hawsawi will be allowed to continue working towards the match. However, he will be ruled out if the discomfort persists, leaving the coming hours crucial in establishing whether Donis’s attacking option can face Qatar or will be forced to miss the match because of injury.