Italy striker Retegui out for season after tibia injury in Saudi Pro League

Al Qadsiah have been dealt a major setback after confirming that forward Mateo Retegui will miss the remainder of the season with a distal tibial fracture. The Italy international was injured shortly after scoring and assisting in Tuesday’s 2‑2 draw against Al Shabab. The club announced that he will undergo surgery in the coming days, ending a campaign in which he scored sixteen goals in twenty‑eight Saudi Pro League appearances.

Retegui, born in Argentina and capped eleven times by Italy, also featured in last month’s World Cup playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. His absence comes at a delicate stage for Brenden Rogers’s side, who sit fourth on sixty‑two points after twenty‑nine matches, four behind Al Ahly, who still have a game in hand. Only the top three qualify for next season’s AFC Champions League Elite, leaving Al Qadsiah’s hopes under pressure without their most reliable attacking threat.