Al Ahli Saudi defender Saleh Abu Shamate has escaped anterior cruciate ligament damage after limping out of a pre-season friendly against Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal.
The 22-year-old went down unexpectedly during Friday’s match at Al Ahli’s training camp, prompting immediate concern within the squad and fears he had suffered a serious knee injury.
According to Saudi newspaper Al-Yaum, medical tests have since confirmed that Abu Shamate’s cruciate ligament is intact, providing a significant boost to the club’s technical staff.
MRI reveals bone bruise only
Abu Shamate underwent an MRI scan following the game against Vitoria Guimaraes, with the examination supervised by Al Ahli’s medical team as a precaution.
The scan showed the defender has sustained a bone contusion only, with no damage to the anterior cruciate ligament. The report added that the imaging was carried out to rule out the worst-case scenario amid the anxiety that followed his fall.
No further details were given on his expected recovery time, but the confirmation that the ligament is unharmed will be regarded as highly positive news for Al Ahli as they step up preparations for the new season.
Defeat continues mixed pre-season form
Abu Shamate’s injury scare came during a 3-1 defeat to Vitoria Guimaraes on Friday, part of Al Ahli’s overseas pre-season schedule as they split their camp between Austria and Portugal.
The loss to the Portuguese side was Al Ahli’s second defeat in friendly matches on their current training tour.
Earlier in the camp, the Saudi Pro League club were beaten 4-1 by German side Holstein Kiel in Austria, underlining the inconsistency in their warm-up fixtures.
Only one win so far for ‘Al-Raqi’
Across their pre-season programme to date, Al Ahli – nicknamed “Al-Raqi” – have recorded just one victory.
That came in emphatic fashion against Austrian side Saalfelden, with the Saudi club running out 8-0 winners in their first friendly in Austria.
They followed that result with a 2-2 draw against Portuguese team Rio Ave in Portugal, before the defeat to Vitoria Guimaraes in which Abu Shamate was injured.
With mixed results on the pitch and the squad still being fine-tuned ahead of the new campaign, the confirmation that a key defender has avoided a major knee injury will be seen inside the camp as one of the most important developments of Al Ahli’s pre-season so far.
