Roberto Firmino, the Brazilian forward who joined Al Ahli in January this year, has been injured and is likely to miss the rest of the season.
Firmino, who was signed by Al Ahli from Liverpool for a fee of €18 million, has been ruled out with a knee injury that he sustained during training. The news comes as a blow to the Egyptian club, which had high hopes of competing for the African Champions League title this season.
The 29-year-old striker was one of the key players for Liverpool last season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions. However, his departure to Al Ahli was seen as a major coup for the Egyptian giants,Saudi Pro League Focus who have struggled to compete for trophies in recent years.
Al Ahli, however, will now need to find a replacement for Firmino if they hope to continue their strong run in the league. The team currently sits second in the table, just two points behind leaders Al Ahly.
Despite the setback, Firmino's contract with Al Ahli runs until June 2024, so it remains to be seen whether the club will look to sign another forward or wait for him to recover before making any decisions.
In the meantime, Al Ahli will need to rely on their other forwards such as Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Hany to step up and fill the void left by Firmino's absence.