Al-Ittihad's pre-season preparations have been derailed by a mounting injury crisis at their Marbella training camp in Spain. The Saudi Arabian club confirmed on Saturday that midfielder Hamed Al-Ghamdi suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during last Tuesday's 3-2 friendly victory over South Africa's Orlando Pirates, a setback that will sideline him for several months and weaken the club's midfield depth heading into the new campaign.
The blow to Al-Ghamdi proved merely the beginning of a troubling injury spell. Al-Ittihad's medical team revealed through official channels that three additional players have been ruled out or significantly hampered during the camp. George Ilenikhena, the Nigerian striker, is being closely monitored after developing acute tonsillitis and a fever, forcing him to step back from group training activities. Right-back Muhannad Al-Shanqiti sustained a right knee injury during Saturday morning's session and is now undergoing a structured treatment regimen, while midfielder Mohammed Fallatah continues rehabilitation for lower abdominal pain sustained during training.
Fixture Schedule and Competitive Outlook
The cascading injuries forced Al-Ittihad to field a depleted squad for Saturday's friendly against Spain's Las Palmas. Before returning to their Jeddah headquarters, the club will complete their Spanish sojourn with a final warm-up match against Real Mallorca on 30 July. Far more pressing is their competitive debut: Al-Ittihad faces UAE-based Al-Jazira on 11 August in a qualifying play-off for the AFC Champions League Elite, a high-stakes fixture that could be complicated by ongoing injury concerns.
The staggered nature of these injuries—affecting multiple positions across midfield, defence, and attack—suggests Al-Ittihad's medical staff may need to accelerate fitness protocols or explore tactical adjustments before their continental campaign begins. Whether all four players can recover in time for the Al-Jazira tie remains uncertain, but the club faces mounting pressure to stabilize their squad health before competitive football resumes.
