Al-Ahli have been dealt a fresh blow that could deepen Marino Pusic's troubles in the weeks ahead. Medical tests have confirmed the extent of the injury Eduard Spertsyan suffered during the clash with Qatar's Al-Sadd in the AFC Champions League Elite, which forced the Armenian off the pitch before the final whistle.
Alarm has spread through the club, not least because the estimates on how long he will be out keep shifting. Some forecasts put his absence at up to four weeks. Others are more hopeful, suggesting he could return within 10 days to a fortnight, with November's international break working in his favour.
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Al-Ahli say their medical staff are now coordinating with the Armenian national team's doctors to agree on the right treatment and rehabilitation programme. That means Spertsyan will miss his country's upcoming camp until his condition becomes clearer.
The timing is what makes this so dangerous. Al-Ahli face a crammed run of domestic and continental fixtures, and Pusic may be forced to rethink his attacking plans entirely if the absence stretches to a full month.
Everything hinges on how long he is sidelined. Doubts already hang over whether Spertsyan can make the Roshn League clash with Al-Faisaly on 20 November, let alone the meeting with Qatar's Al-Shamal in the AFC Champions League Elite three days later.
Most worrying of all is the Jeddah derby against Al-Ittihad on 26 November. Al-Ahli could head into that test without one of their most prominent attackers, with Al-Ula to follow on 1 December in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
Spertsyan matters to Pusic. His playmaking, his movement between the lines and his part in building attacks make him one of the coach's key options. Losing him leaves Pusic scrambling to replace that attacking influence, and the fixtures keep coming for Al-Raqi.