Al-Ittihad have been dealt a fresh blow. The club have confirmed that Colombian midfielder Richard Rios has sustained an ankle ligament injury, raising fears over how long he could be sidelined with a run of crucial fixtures on the horizon.
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In an official statement, the club revealed that medical examinations showed damage to the peroneal ligament of the ankle. Rios is now following a prescribed programme of treatment and rehabilitation, though the statement stopped short of specifying the severity of the injury or his expected time out.
How long the Colombian stays out hinges on the severity of the damage. A first-degree peroneal ligament injury usually needs two to three weeks of recovery. A second-degree one can stretch to between six and eight weeks, depending on the extent of the damage and how the player responds to treatment.
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Pinning down a return date, then, depends entirely on the examinations and the medical verdict on his condition. Al-Ittihad have yet to reveal whether the injury is first or second-degree, which makes any firm timeline for his comeback premature.
The timing could hardly be worse. Having lost a key figure in midfield, the coaching staff must now reshuffle their options and cover his absence across the coming matches, mindful of the nature of the fixtures and a congested schedule.
Fans of the Doyen will be watching the player closely through his rehabilitation, hoping the damage is limited and the lay-off brief. For now, they await an official update clarifying the degree of the injury and when Rios might be back on the pitch.