Algeria national team suffers three major blows ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Three crises hit the Algeria national team

Algeria/@FAF

The Algeria national team is chasing the dream of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the upcoming international break, scheduled for October/November.

The North African side will visit Somalia on October 9, with the match taking place at Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, before hosting Uganda five days later at the Hussein Aït Ahmed Stadium in Tizi Ouzou.

The Desert Warriors currently top their group with 19 points, holding a four-point advantage over their nearest rivals, Uganda.

In this report, we highlight three crises that have struck the Algeria national team ahead of the October break.

Right-back dilemma

The Algerian squad faces a major issue at right-back ahead of the crucial clashes against Somalia and Uganda.

It's confirmed that Mohamed Farsi, star of Columbus Crew, will miss out after undergoing pelvic surgery that will sideline him for at least two months.

Doubts also surround the participation of Youcef Atal, who recently sustained an injury with his club Al Sadd in Qatar.

Houssem Aouar injury setback

The injury curse continues to haunt Houssem Aouar, who was forced off during his club Al Ittihad's recent match against Al Nassr in the fourth round of the Saudi league.

Al Ittihad released an official statement on their social media, confirming that Aouar is suffering from a muscular injury. The midfielder is currently undergoing an individual rehabilitation program, aiming for a swift recovery.

The former Lyon star has made 16 appearances for the Desert Warriors, scoring five goals.

Bennacer not match-fit

All indicators suggest that the new Dinamo Zagreb signing will not be available for Algeria during the upcoming international break.

Bennacer has managed just two appearances with his new club, totaling only 114 minutes of play, without making a scoring impact.

He has been away from competitive action for a long spell, and his last appearance for the national team dates back to June, in a friendly against Sweden that the Desert Warriors lost 3-4.