Al-Ittihad suffered an early blow against Abha on Friday evening, in the twelfth round of the Saudi Roshn Pro League, when one of their key players went down with a sudden injury that tore up the coaching staff's plans inside the opening minutes.
The timing could hardly have been worse for "the Dean", who face an important continental clash against the UAE's Al Ain next Monday in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite. Concern now hangs over the player's readiness for that fixture.
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Just 8 minutes into the Abha match, Colombian midfielder Richard Rios went down after a strong tackle from an opponent. He hit the pitch in evident pain.
Rios could not continue. He left the field in tears, struggling to walk normally, forcing German manager Jens Wissing into an early substitution.
On came Ahmed Al-Ghamdi in place of the Colombian as Wissing reshaped his side to see out the match. The coaching staff now wait on details of the injury and an assessment of his condition over the coming hours.
Coming just days before the Asian clash against Al Ain, the injury casts real doubt over whether Rios will feature. Medical tests will determine the nature of the problem, the length of his absence and whether he can make the continental fixture.