Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari will undergo an MRI scan on Monday to determine whether he can feature in Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final against France. The 25-year-old, who recently completed a move to Bayern Munich, sustained a hamstring injury during the Atlas Lions’ 3-0 victory over Canada in the round of 16.
Saibari is travelling with the squad to Boston as they prepare for the last-eight clash scheduled for 22:00 CEST on Thursday. However, he remains a significant doubt for the fixture against the reigning champions.
Tournament Impact
The potential absence would deal a considerable blow to Morocco’s attacking options. Saibari has been instrumental in their campaign, finding the net in each of the three group-stage matches before converting the decisive penalty in the shootout victory against the Netherlands during the round of 32.
His withdrawal against Canada came in the first half, forcing the team to reshuffle their plans for the remainder of the match.
Club Concerns
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Saibari personally, having only recently been announced as a Bayern Munich signing. The German champions will be monitoring his situation closely as they prepare to integrate him into their squad following the tournament.
The results of Monday’s scan will dictate whether the midfielder can participate in training sessions later in the week. Morocco’s medical staff face a tight turnaround to get him ready for the high-stakes encounter with France, who defeated them in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.