World Cup qualifier: Algeria hit by injury crisis

Festus Abu

Algeria  have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their  Russia 2018 World Cup Group B qualifier against Nigeria  in Uyo on Saturday.

According to the Afikfoot on Monday,  Napoli left-back  Faouzi Ghoulam, Dinamo Zagreb forward  Hilal Soudani, Montpellier  attacking midfielder Ryad Boudebouz  and  Lyon midfielder Rachid Ghezzal are  injured and not certain for the trip to Nigeria.

 The  Desert Foxes’ Belgian manager Georges Leekens   has therefore  invited Arsenal’s 18-year-old  midfielder Ismael Bennacer,  Qatar-based attacker  Baghdad Bounedjah and   Lille forward Yacine Benzia to camp for the crucial  clash against the Super Eagles.Ghoulam and Boudebouz played for their clubs at the weekend.

France-born Bordeaux’s rising star Adam Ounas, who switched his international allegiance to Algeria recently, had earlier been ruled out of the game due to a knee  injury.

In-form Leicester City forward  Islam Slimani  only returned to action to score a goal  in the Premier League champions’  2-1 defeat  by West Brom  at King Power Stadium on Sunday after being sidelined by injury.  On-loan Schalke 04  midfielder  Nabil Bentaleb, who hit the back of the net for the Royal Blues  in their 3-1 defeat of Werder Bremen in their Bundesliga clash  at Veltins-Arena on Sunday, only just returned from injury.