Injury Force-Sub: Saudi Star Out Before Palestine Clash
10 December 2025
Ayman Yahya's absence weighs on the Green.
The Saudi national team has announced the exclusion of Ayman Yahya, a forward for Al-Nassr, from the squad participating in the Arab Cup, due to an injury sustained recently.
Ayman Yahya was injured while coming on as a substitute in the Morocco match at the end of the group stage, which ended with the Atlas Lions winning 1-0.
Injury sidelines Saudi star ahead of Palestine clash
The official Saudi team account on X, formerly Twitter, said that manager Hervé Renard decided to exclude the player from the camp, based on the medical report from the medical staff, which confirmed Yahya suffers a knee injury and will not be ready for upcoming matches.
Saudi Arabia prepares to face Palestine tomorrow, Thursday, in the quarterfinals of the tournament, after finishing second in their group, while Palestine topped Group A.
If the Green advance to the semi-finals, they will face the winner of Iraq vs Jordan, scheduled next Monday at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
Punchline: If Renard keeps shuffling lines due to injuries, he’ll soon have the opposing team wondering if they’re watching football or a magic show—now you see a starter, now you don’t.
Punchline 2: In football, as in comedy, timing is everything; apparently, Yahya’s knee timing was just a beat off this time. Hold my whistle; I’ve got this one in rotation.