Morocco dealt huge blow as injured Saibari out of World Cup quarterfinal

Ismael Saibari will miss the match against France in Boston due to a hamstring injury sustained last week.Morocco’s plans for their World Cup quarterfinal against France have been shaken up after it was confirmed that star forward Ismael Saibari will miss the match.Saibari sustained a hamstring injury in the last-16 match against Canada and has not recovered in time for the crucial knockout match, coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Wednesday.“Everyone is 100 percent fit except Saibari. This game comes too soon for him, but I hope he is not out for the rest of the competition,” Ouahbi told reporters ahead of Thursday’s last-eight showdown in Boston.Saibari, who has just joined Bayern Munich from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven on a five-year deal for a reported fee of 50 million euros ($57m), has been one of the standout players at this year’s World Cup.He scored in each of his team’s three group games and converted the winning penalty in the shootout as Morocco beat the Netherlands in the last 32.However, the attacking midfielder came off early with a hamstring problem in the 3-0 win against Canada in the last 16 last Saturday.Should Morocco progress, Saibari might make a comeback in the semifinals.“He’s not ready, but I hope it’s not the end of the tournament for him,” Ouahbi said.Saibari went off the pitch to receive medical attention after sustaining an injury against Canada [Issei Kato/Reuters]Soufiane Rahimi, who is an out-and-out striker, came on for Saibari in that game and scored Morocco’s third goal.The Atlas Lions are seeking to avenge their 2-0 defeat against France in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.