Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after detailed medical examinations returned a shocking diagnosis for the Panathinaikos midfielder.
An MRI scan carried out on Monday morning confirmed a severe grade three muscle tear in the biceps femoris of his right thigh. It ranks among the most complex injuries in sports medical protocols.
Moroccan website Radio Mars quoted sources it described as "close to the circle of the Greek club" as saying recovery from this type of injury ranges between two and a half and three months. That means Ounahi will inevitably miss the next Morocco squad camp, along with the two matches between Morocco and Niger, scheduled for 13 and 17 November 2026 in Morocco as part of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Fellow Moroccan outlet Hesport quoted Greek website "Green Corner" as saying the injury will keep Ounahi out of 15 matches for Panathinaikos between 22 October this month and 20 December, spanning the Greek league, the cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Across that spell, Panathinaikos will play eight league matches, two in the Greek Cup and five in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Ounahi picked up the injury during Panathinaikos' 5-1 win over Asteras on Sunday in the Greek league. He left the pitch on a stretcher, a scene that sparked widespread concern among Moroccan fans and supporters of the Greek side.
The blow halts a bright start from the Moroccan star, who had scored three goals in eight matches across all competitions since the beginning of the current season.