DOHA— The injury sustained by three major players was one of the factors that impacted the performance of the Saudi squad during their third and final round of group matches in the World Cup 2022 on Wednesday. The Green Falcons ended their World Cup journey after their loss to Mexico 1-2 at Lusail Stadium in Doha. The Saudi national team revealed on Thursday that striker Salem Al-Dawsari, defender Ali Al-Bulayhi, and goalkeeper Muhammad Al-Owais suffered injuries during the match against Mexico. In a statement on their Twitter account, the Saudi national team stated that the three players underwent medical examinations that showed that Al-Dawsari suffered an injury to the ligaments of the left ankle joint and Ali Al-Bulayhi had the posterior muscle injury while Muhammad Al-Owais sustained an injury on the right shoulder muscle. The national team indicated that the medical staff at Al-Hilal Club had been contacted, and detailed medical reports were submitted. The Green Falcons sealed a stunning victory against Argentina in the first round of the group matches but lost to Poland with a clean double, before losing to Mexico and thus finishing in fourth place with 3 points in Group C. Star players, including Captain Salman Al-Faraj and defender Yasser Al-Shahrani, were not able to play against Mexico due to their injuries. Another defender Abdulelah Al-Maliki was also not in a position to play in the match as he got a second yellow card in the match against Poland.
