Algeria: red alert for a key player ahead of AFCON 2025! | OneFootball

Algeria: a key man in danger before AFCON 2025!

Algeria: red alert for a key player ahead of AFCON 2025!

Fate seems to be relentlessly targeting Ismaël Bennacer. Just as he was regaining an encouraging level of play with Dinamo Zagreb, the Algerian midfielder has seen his momentum abruptly halted by a fresh physical setback. Forced off early against Vukovar (0-1) in the Croatian league, the former AC Milan playmaker is reportedly suffering from knee pain—the very joint that had already threatened his career just a few months ago.

A bitter-tasting relapse

Bennacer, who was finally rediscovering continuity after five consecutive starts, appears to have been caught out again by the fragility of a body pushed to its limits. Croatian media are reporting he could miss the upcoming clash against Rijeka—a major blow not only for Dinamo Zagreb but also for the Algerian national team. Because this injury shakes more than just a squad: it’s the symbol of a leader, a player whose consistency was meant to spearhead the Greens’ revival under Vladimir Petkovic.

The national coach, who had assured Bennacer he would be part of his plans as soon as he returned to regular football, now sees that comeback in jeopardy. And for the Milan loanee, with a purchase option set at €12 million, this relapse could not have come at a worse time: just as he was starting to prove he could once again be the elegant, inspired metronome who led Algeria at AFCON 2019.

Between broken hope and medical caution, Bennacer now faces a new challenge. His ability to bounce back, to fight through the pain and regain his full form, will determine not only the rest of his season but perhaps also his fate with the national team on the eve of AFCON 2025.