Ayoub El Kaabi Faces Lengthy Layoff After Horror Leg Break
Ayoub El Kaabi’s season has been ripped apart in a single challenge.
The Moroccan international suffered a serious fracture to the tibia and fibula of his left leg during Olympiacos’s 1-1 draw with Volos in the third round of the Greek top flight, Greek outlet Sportal reported. The injury came shortly before the end of the first half, abruptly ending his night and casting a shadow over Olympiacos’s campaign.
The impact was immediate. El Kaabi left the pitch with clear signs of a major problem, and the early fears were quickly confirmed.
Successful surgery in Athens
Sportal said the surgery took place in Athens and was performed by Olympiacos doctor Christos Theos and his medical team. The operation, the report added, was completed successfully.
Greek website Sport 24 echoed that, citing an official Olympiacos statement which underlined that the procedure “was carried out smoothly” by chief doctor Christos Theos and his staff at the B. Valeriou clinic, part of the Athens Medical Centre.
The club stressed that the period after the operation is “proceeding according to the plan laid out.” The medical staff have already moved from crisis mode to reconstruction mode.
Six to seven months out
The brutal reality of the injury soon followed.
Greek outlet Protothema reported that El Kaabi is expected to be sidelined for between six and seven months. That timeline would rule him out for the bulk of the season and potentially push his return deep into next year.
Protothema added that the precise length of his absence will depend heavily on how his body responds to treatment and rehabilitation. Bones can heal on schedule; confidence and rhythm often take longer.
Road to recovery begins
According to Sport 24, Olympiacos confirmed that El Kaabi’s rehabilitation officially starts today, with a clear objective: a gradual, safe and complete return to competitive football.
The “red and white” side underlined that every step of the process will be measured, built around protecting the striker and giving him the best chance to come back at full strength.
For now, Olympiacos must adjust without their Moroccan finisher, while El Kaabi begins the long, lonely climb back from one of football’s most feared injuries.
