As the Moroccan national team gathers in New Jersey, there is a cautious atmosphere following the injury of winger Ez Abde during the recent friendly match against Norway. New medical examinations are anticipated once the swelling in his right knee subsides in order to assess the severity of the sprain he is experiencing and to make a decision regarding his participation in the World Cup. Although preliminary assessments indicate that Abde has suffered a sprain to his medial collateral ligament, the Moroccan medical team plans to conduct an MRI as soon as the inflammation decreases, helping to clarify the extent of his injury. If the situation turns out to be the least severe, he could potentially recover in around two weeks, which would mean he would miss only the matches against Brazil and Scotland but could possibly return in time for the third game against Haiti and any subsequent knockout stages.
However, there is a possibility that the injury could be categorized as a grade 2 or 3 sprain, which would necessitate a recovery period of at least three to four weeks, leading to the likely withdrawal of the Beni Melal native from the tournament. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) still has until 11:59 PM on Saturday, June 13, just a day before the team's opening match, to replace the Real Betis forward with another player from the preliminary 55-man roster submitted to FIFA. With the agreement of Abde and head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, they plan to wait 48 hours before making a final decision on Wednesday, ensuring they have all relevant information at hand.
Both Morocco and Real Betis are eagerly hoping for good news regarding Abde's condition, as concerns mount over the implications of his knee injury. The situation has become more complex following a series of injuries to other players, including left-back Nourait Mazraoui, who is expected to be sidelined for about ten days due to a shoulder injury sustained during a collision with Alexander Sorloth of Atletico Madrid. Meanwhile, teammate Anass Salah-Eddine and center-back Nayef Aguerd have also been dealing with their own muscular injuries, although they are making progress and might still be available for the highly anticipated match against Brazil, coached by Carlo Ancelotti. Nevertheless, Ouahbi has made it clear that he will not seek replacements for these players, while the decision regarding Abde remains uncertain.
As reported by estadiodeportivo.com.
