Trezeguet Sidelined for Four Weeks with Hamstring Injury

Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” has suffered a torn hamstring and will be sidelined for four weeks, Saudi club Al-Riyadh confirmed on Wednesday via their official account on X.

The Egyptian international sustained the injury on Monday during Al-Riyadh’s clash with Al-Khaleej in the sixth round of the Saudi Roshn League. His night ended brutally early: he went down inside the opening quarter of an hour and left the pitch in tears in the 13th minute, a stark image for both club and country.

Medical examinations later revealed the extent of the damage — a hamstring tear — and Al-Riyadh have agreed for the winger to return to Cairo, where he will continue his rehabilitation under the supervision of Egypt’s national team medical staff.

Impact on Egypt's Campaign

For Hossam Hassan and Egypt, the timing could hardly be worse.

Trezeguet is now set to miss the Pharaohs’ upcoming camp, which begins on 17 September, ruling him out of their first two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Egypt open their campaign at home to Angola on Friday 25 September at Cairo Stadium, before flying to Juba to face South Sudan on Tuesday 29 September.

A former Aston Villa player, Trezeguet has long been one of Egypt’s most reliable attacking outlets, valued for his experience and end product on the international stage. Losing that profile of player on the eve of a qualifying campaign changes the equation.

For Egypt, the question now is simple: who steps up in his absence when the road to AFCON 2027 starts without one of their key men?