Ayoub El Kaabi Faces Long Injury Layoff After Double Leg Fracture
Ayoub El Kaabi faces lengthy spell out after double leg fracture
Olympiacos’s early-season momentum has been hit by a brutal setback, with star striker Ayoub El Kaabi ruled out for months after suffering a serious leg injury in the Greek Super League.
The Moroccan international fractured both the tibia and fibula in his left leg late in the first half of Olympiacos’s 1-1 draw with Volos in the third round of the top flight, Greek outlet Sportal reported. The incident brought a chilling silence over the stadium, turning an ordinary league fixture into a night the club will not forget quickly.
Successful surgery in Athens
El Kaabi was taken for immediate medical assessment, and surgery followed in Athens. According to Sportal, the operation was performed by Olympiacos club doctor Christos Theos and his medical team and “was completed successfully.”
Greek website Sport 24 added that the procedure took place at the B. Valeriou clinic, part of the Athens Medical Centre, with Olympiacos confirming in an official statement that the surgery “was carried out smoothly” by Theos and his staff.
The club has already moved into the next phase. Sport 24 reported that Olympiacos described the post-surgery period as progressing “according to the plan laid out,” with rehabilitation beginning immediately. The goal is clear: a “gradual, safe and full return to competitive activity” for their leading forward.
Six to seven months on the sidelines
The good news of a successful operation comes with a harsh reality. Protothema reported that El Kaabi is expected to be sidelined for between six and seven months.
The outlet stressed that the final timeline will hinge on how his body responds to treatment and the rehabilitation programme, noting that “the exact duration of his absence from the pitch depends greatly on his body's response to treatment and rehabilitation.”
For Olympiacos, that estimate stretches across most of the season and potentially into the decisive run-in. For El Kaabi, it means a long road back from one of the most feared injuries in the game.
Rehabilitation has already started. The clock is ticking on his comeback, and both club and country will be watching every step of that recovery.
