Youssef Belammari Injury Scare for Al Ahly's Pre-Season

Al Ahly’s pre-season plans took an unwelcome twist on Wednesday after Moroccan winger Youssef Belammari suffered a knee sprain during a friendly against Spanish side Badalona.

The injury came at the "Bosc de Tosca" municipal stadium in Spain, where the Cairo giants are holding their camp as they attempt to reset after a barren, bruising campaign.

Belammari was taken straight to hospital for medical examinations and X-rays, Al Ahly announced through their official channels. The medical team will use those tests to determine the exact extent of the damage and decide how long the 26-year-old will be out of training and matches.

For now, the diagnosis is a sprain. The real concern lies in what the scans reveal next: whether the knee problem is minor enough for a short layoff or serious enough to force a long stretch of treatment and rehabilitation before he can return to competition.

It is a headache Marcel Koller and his staff did not need.

Al Ahly are under pressure. Last season ended without a single major title, a failure by the club’s lofty standards both domestically and in Africa. This summer was supposed to be about sharpening, not scrambling.

Belammari arrived only in January, signed from Raja Casablanca on a three-and-a-half-year deal to inject fresh energy and unpredictability into the attack. He was expected to play a key role in the rebuild, part of a new core tasked with dragging the Red Devils back to the top.

Now the club waits on scans and medical reports, hoping that one of their mid-season investments is not set for an early, damaging pause just as the new campaign looms.