Mohammed Wahbi, technical director of the Moroccan national team, has spoken about the health status of some Atlas Lions players, confirming that the medical staff will make a final determination on the nature of their injuries within the coming hours.
During the press conference that followed Morocco's 3-0 victory over Canada in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, Wahbi addressed the injury of Ismail Al Saybari and revealed the reason behind Chadi Riad's absence.
The Moroccan coach said: "I haven't met with the doctor yet. Al Saybari is suffering from pain in his thigh."
Al Saybari had left the pitch due to injury in the 22nd minute of the match, which was held in the American city of Houston.
Wahbi explained that Chadi Riad's absence from the match was a precautionary measure to avoid any complications ahead of upcoming games, adding: "As for Chadi, we did not want to risk playing him in the match, because it is better for us to play with players who are 100% ready in matches like these."
The Al Batal website reported that the Moroccan national team's technical staff is awaiting the final medical report to determine the readiness of Al Saybari and Riad ahead of the quarter-final clash against France.
The technical staff is expecting the final medical report to settle the players' status before Morocco's next match in the World Cup quarter-finals.