Algeria: Huge setback for Gouiri!

Prematurely exiting against Zambia, Amine Gouiri will not continue the gathering with the national team. The Olympique de Marseille forward underwent examinations that confirmed a muscle injury, prompting the Greens' staff to release him before the trip to Burundi. This decision also raises questions on the Marseille side.

The evening had started well for Amine Gouiri, but it ended quickly. Starting against Zambia on the first day of the CAN 2027 qualifiers, the Algerian forward was forced to leave his teammates after just a few minutes of play, following a collision with the Zambian goalkeeper.

The player had attempted to continue the match before ultimately giving way to Amin Chiakha. The Algerian medical staff preferred not to take any risks regarding their forward.

The thorough examinations conducted on Saturday ultimately confirmed the initial concerns with the detection of a muscle injury. In this context, the technical staff of the Greens reportedly decided to release Gouiri so that he could continue his treatment in France, according to information from Algerian television channels Ennahar TV and El Hayat TV.

This decision means that the Marseille forward will not participate in Algeria's upcoming trip to Burundi, scheduled for Tuesday in Bujumbura, as part of the second day of qualifications. His absence thus deprives Brahim Hemdani of an additional offensive option for this match.

On the side of Olympique de Marseille, this news is also being closely monitored. Gouiri represents one of the main offensive options for the club since the beginning of the season, and his potential unavailability would constitute another setback for the Phocaean team, already facing squad issues.

For now, no specific duration of unavailability has been communicated. We will have to wait for the evolution of his condition and the next medical evaluations to know the exact severity of this injury.