Bad Luck for Renard: Al-Bulayhi Becomes the Sixth Injured Player

Ali Al-Bulayhi has become the sixth injured player in Saudi Arabia's national team camp, as confirmed by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

According to an official statement, Al-Bulayhi experienced muscle pain that prevented his participation in Wednesday's training session. This adds to a list of absences due to injuries and illnesses, raising concerns for coach Hervé Renard ahead of the Gulf Cup.

Other affected players include Abdullah Al-Khaibari, who is limited to individual training, and Sultan Al-Ghannam, who missed training due to a cold. On a positive note, Firas Al-Buraikan and Hassan Tambakti have returned to full training.

Under the supervision of Renard, Wednesday's training focused on ball retention and shooting drills, culminating in recovery exercises. The team is set to travel to Kuwait on Friday to participate in the 26th Gulf Cup, starting Saturday and running until January 3rd.

Saudi Arabia, a three-time Gulf Cup champion, is grouped with Bahrain, Iraq, and Yemen, while Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, and Oman make up the other group.