Saudi Arabia drop doping-case player from World Cup squad

Saudi Arabia announced yesterday they have dropped Fahad al-Muwallad from their World Cup squad as a “precautionary measure” after the winger was initially included despite failing a doping test earlier this year.

The 28-year-old, who plays for Saudi club side Al Shabab, tested positive in February for the banned drug furosemide, which can be used as a masking agent to prevent the detection of anabolic steroids. Al-Muwallad was banned for 18 months by Saudi anti-doping authorities but, according to Saudi media reports, that ban was subsequently reduced, clearing him to participate in the World Cup in Qatar. It is understood that decision was referred by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with CAS yet to make a ruling.

The Saudi team said on its Twitter feed that “after reviewing the latest developments in the WADA appeal” and following consultations with Saudi lawyers, coach Herve Renard had decided to exclude al-Muwallad as a “precautionary measure”.

Renard has brought in midfielder Nawaf al-Abed, who also plays for Al Shabab, as a replacement for al-Muwallad, who was also suspended in 2019 over a previous doping case. Saudi Arabia open their World Cup campaign against Argentina on November 22.

Poland’s Dragowski suffers ankle injury, World Cup at risk

Poland international goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski is out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury in Spezia’s Serie A win at Verona, coach Luca Gotti said yesterday. Dragowski had been selected in Poland’s squad for the Qatar tournament but he had to be stretchered from the Stadio Bentegodi field in tears three minutes before half-time after trying to tackle Kevin Lasagna.

“We don’t have any confirmed news yet, the tests are ongoing and it’s certainly not a light injury,” Gotti told DAZN after his team’s 2-1 win. “The first thing to say is that he won’t be able to play in the World Cup, he was supposed to be leaving to join his national team tomorrow.”

Dragowski has two caps for his country and would have been behind fellow Italy-based keepers Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Skorupski in the pecking order for Poland. Spezia were behind to Simone Verdi’s strike when Dragowski was substituted but M’bala Nzola’s first goals away from home this season moved his team six clear of the relegation zone and condemned Verona to their 10th straight defeat.