Columbus Crew striker Wissam Abu Ali has announced a torn cruciate ligament, effectively ending his season with the American club.
The Palestinian international joined Crew last summer from Al Ahly in a hefty deal that cost the American club $7.5 million.
Abu Ali had a perfect start to the season with Columbus Crew before suffering the injury during a match against Orlando City a few days ago, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
After undergoing tests, it was confirmed that Abu Ali had torn his ACL, which will sideline him for at least six months.
Al Ahly is undoubtedly the biggest loser financially from this injury, as the transfer contract stipulated that the Cairo giants would receive an additional $1 million bonus if the 25-year-old scored 10 goals in his first season in the United States.
Abu Ali scored only 5 goals in the first 7 rounds, and although his average was promising enough to easily reach 10 goals, it now seems certain that he will not achieve that number this season, thus depriving Al-Ahly of an easy opportunity to earn a million dollars from their former top scorer.
An ACL injury typically requires 6 months of recovery, but it can extend to 9 months depending on how well the knee responds to healing.
The American league season begins at the end of February and ends at the beginning of November, so there is a possibility that Wissam Abu Ali could participate in some of the final rounds of the current season, although it is more likely that he will remain sidelined until preseason training for the next season.
