Morocco will begin their World Cup campaign against Brazil on Saturday without two key players after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation confirmed that winger Abde Ezzalzouli and central defender Nayef Aguerd have been withdrawn from the squad because of injury. The late changes, announced on Friday, see Amine Sbaï of French side Angers and Marwane Saadane, who plays for Al Fateh in Saudi Arabia, drafted into the final 26-man list. The squad adjustment was officially registered by FIFA, and the news comes as a sobering blow for an Atlas Lions side that had hoped to build on the momentum of their historic semi-final run in Qatar.

Medical assessments revealed that Ezzalzouli suffered a high-grade medial collateral ligament injury in his right knee during a pre-tournament friendly against Norway, an injury that the federation said would definitively rule him out of the tournament. Aguerd, a mainstay of Morocco’s defence in 2022, has not played since March after undergoing surgery for a groin problem. While the Moroccan delegation based in New Jersey declined to comment when approached, team captain Achraf Hakimi offered a public message of support, writing on social media: “Football can be cruel sometimes. Thanks for what you’ve given the squad since the first day. We’ll continue to fight for you.”

Some defensive reassurance arrived with news that Noussair Mazraoui has recovered from a shoulder injury and has been cleared by medical staff to face Brazil. The Bayern Munich full-back’s availability eases the pressure on the backline, but he does not directly replace the aerial presence and organisational nous that Aguerd provides. Viewed from Rabat, the reshuffle tests the squad’s depth at the worst possible moment, though head coach Walid Regragui has spent recent months cultivating tactical flexibility.

Morocco are not alone in confronting late injury disruption. Brazil have lost right-back Wesley and summoned midfielder Éderson as cover, while Germany and other contenders have also been forced to amend their squads. Analysts in London note that the compressed international calendar continues to extract a heavy toll on player fitness, a reality that may shape the narrative of this World Cup. For Morocco, the timing is particularly cruel: their opening fixture at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is the only first-round match to pit two sides ranked inside FIFA’s top ten.

After facing Brazil, the Atlas Lions will meet Scotland near Boston on 19 June. How quickly the revised defensive pairing of Saadane and Mazraoui can settle alongside Romain Saïss will be decisive, as will Sbaï’s ability to replicate Ezzalzouli’s dynamism on the flank. The Moroccan public, whose expectations have been recalibrated upward since 2022, will now look to the team’s collective resolve rather than individual stardust. If history offers any guide, it is that adversity often galvanises this side.