Al Nassr have been dealt a fresh blow before next Tuesday's eagerly awaited clash with Neom in the tenth round of the Roshn League. Kingsley Coman and Abdulrahman Ghareeb both need around a week of treatment and rehabilitation, according to Saudi newspaper "Arriyadiyah", which makes both missing the fixture all the more likely.
The timing could hardly be worse. Al Nassr want to keep their domestic results ticking over, and Ange Postecoglou's staff need every attacking option they can get amid a congested schedule and multiple commitments.
Coman picked up a slight tear in his hamstring against Uzbek side Neftchi Fergana in the AFC Champions League Elite. He came off in the 13th minute, his night over almost before it began.
Rehabilitation started the day after that 3-1 win, and the French winger still has stages of his treatment to complete before he can rejoin group training. When he regains his fitness is anyone's guess.
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Ghareeb, meanwhile, is working through his own programme after an injury to the ligaments of his ankle joint. He hasn't featured for Al Nassr since the season began.
His hope is to come through the recovery stages cleanly, get back into training and fight for a place among the coaching staff's options.
Two absentees in the wide attacking areas hand Postecoglou an extra headache before Neom, and the club can only wait for both men to get their sharpness back.
Their return dates hinge on how they respond to the rehabilitation work. Nobody will be rushing them back before they're ready.