Tribune News Network
Doha
Saudi Arabia defender Yasser Al Shahrani, who suffered a head injury in the closing moments of his team’s historic 2-1 win over Argentina in their World Cup opener on Tuesday, will need rapid surgical intervention due to internal bleeding, according to a report.
He suffered a fracture of the jaw and facial bones, the report said.
The 30-year-old was unintentionally rendered unconscious during stoppage time by his own goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais.
Al Shahrani fell to the turf and remained motionless, but the game continued temporarily. The distressed Al-Owais urgently signalled to the referee to stop the game, and eventually medical staff were able to rush onto the field and tend to the defender.
Video replays of the brutal collision drew a shocked reaction from commentators, while concerned teammates looked on. After receiving attention for nearly five minutes, Al Shahrani returned to his feet but was carried off on a stretcher, issuing a thumbs up to the thousands of Saudi fans in the stadium.
