The Morocco team suffered an important loss for their opening match in the World Cup against Brazil, scheduled for next Saturday, at 7pm (Brasília time), in New Jersey. Striker Abdessamad Ezzalzouli suffered an injury to his right knee and will not be able to play in the opening Group B clash.
The athlete was injured during the preparatory friendly against Norway, played last Sunday, which ended in a 1-1 draw. In the initial stage of the match, after a corner kick, defender Riad accidentally fell on the leg of Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, who had to be replaced at half-time due to pain.
Recovery deadline puts participation in the tournament at risk
Medical examinations showed that Abdessamad Ezzalzouli suffered a moderate sprain in the medial collateral ligament of his right knee. The estimated time for the player’s recovery varies from two to three weeks, which threatens the attacker’s continuity in the remainder of the international competition.
Real Betis, the Spanish club that holds the athlete’s rights, formalized contact with the medical department of the Moroccan Football Federation to monitor the seriousness of the situation. Given the diagnosis, coach Mohamed Ouahbi will need to assess whether he will keep the player in the squad or request a replacement, a change that can be made up to 24 hours before the opening game.
Tactical impact and situation of other athletes in the squad
The absence of Abdessamad Ezzalzouli represents a tactical problem for the Moroccan coaching staff, as the left winger had been playing as a starter and provided the pass for the goal scored by Brahim Díaz in the last friendly. Without him, the team loses its main speed reference on the left side of the field.
Historically, grade 2 MCL injuries tend to sideline athletes for up to a month, which means that, even if they remain with the delegation, the attacker would be unlikely to play in the group stage. The coach is studying the use of Amine Adli or Sofiane Boufal to fill the vacancy in the offensive sector.
On the other hand, the situation of left-back Mazraoui is less worrying. The defender left the pitch against Norway with shoulder pain before the 30th minute of the game, but underwent evaluation and should be available to face the Brazilian team on Saturday.
