Laajami’s Hamstring Injury Clouds Al-Hilal’s Victory Over Al-Gharafa in AFC Elite Club Championship

Ali Laajami, star of Saudi club Al-Hilal, dampened the Zaeem’s celebration after their victory over Al-Gharafa on Monday in the AFC Elite Club Championship.

Laajami suffered a severe hamstring injury during the match that Al-Hilal sealed 2-1, allowing them to reclaim the top spot in the Western group of the AFC Elite Club Championship for this season.

Al-Hilal’s goals were scored by Salem Al-Dawsari and Caio Cesar in the 9th and 66th minutes, while Al-Gharafa’s strike came from Ayoub Mohammad in the 90+8th minute.

Injury and Absence

According to the Saudi newspaper Al-Youm, Laajami suffered a hamstring tear and will be sidelined for four to six weeks.

He will undergo rehabilitation in the coming period as part of the club’s rehab program to recover from the injury that kept him out of local and continental competitions.

Long Absence Ahead

The serious injury will deprive coach Simone Inzaghi of his services for at least four weeks, ruling him out of the next league game on Friday, November 7, at King Abdullah Stadium in Buraydah, in the Saudi Pro League’s eighth round.

That match will be the first meeting between the two clubs in the Saudi Pro League since Al-Hilal’s recent surge through the season statistics and the promotion of competition within the Western region.

The injury also means Laajami will miss upcoming clashes with other Saudi teams as part of the league and domestic cup schedules.

Notable Numbers

The win lifts Al-Hilal to 100 wins in the continental competition, a milestone celebrated by the club and its supporters.

As highlighted by local outlets, Al-Hilal’s start mirrors last season’s template in the AFC Elite Club Championship, with a dominant four-win sweep in the group stage and a run of strong results against opponents such as Duhail, Nasaf, Al-Saad, and Esteghlal Tehran, before a late-season hiccup.

Eight matches will be played in the group stage for each region, with the Round of 16 set for March 2026 and the quarterfinals, semis, and final to be held in Saudi Arabia in April.

Fans were also reminded that Laajami’s absence will affect the team’s lineup in upcoming fixtures, while others like Sergej Savic, Malcolm, and Darwin Nunez are expected to be available for selection in the near term, per coach Inzaghi’s quotes.

“It’s painful for a key player to be sidelined, but we have a very capable medical staff and a strong group to rely on,” Inzaghi said. “We will train hard, rotate when necessary, and focus on collecting points.”

He added: “The goal is to win as many games as possible; we’ve played 13, won 11, drawn two, and there’s room to improve. I’ve been rotating players since the first match of the Asian campaign, and now the priority is the next game against the Stars.”

Punchlines

If hamstrings had a Wi‑Fi signal, Laajami’s would still be buffering in the 90+8th minute.

Inzaghi rotates players so much that the bench deserves frequent flyer miles—and apparently, so does the ball, which keeps finding a new owner every week.