Imad Al-Nahhas, the coach of Al-Zawraa Club, finds himself facing a new technical challenge following the sudden injury of the team's Colombian top scorer, Bryan Riascos, ahead of the anticipated match against Al Wasl in the second leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16.

Al-Zawraa will visit Al Wasl at Zabeel Stadium in Dubai this Tuesday, entering the match with a slight advantage after winning the first leg in Baghdad 3-2, a game in which Riascos shone by scoring two crucial goals.

According to close sources, Al-Nahhas is currently working on finding a quick and effective solution to compensate for the absence of his top scorer, after tests confirmed that Riascos suffered a first-degree tear in the hamstring during the last training session before traveling to the UAE.

Initial medical reports indicated that the player would need about a week of treatment, meaning he will certainly miss the second leg, but he should be available afterward.

Despite the injury, the player accompanied the team to the UAE, where he will undergo an intensive treatment and rehabilitation program under the supervision of the medical staff, in a step aimed at speeding up his return and ensuring his readiness for upcoming commitments.

The technical staff is considering several scenarios to compensate for the absence of the Colombian striker, with the priority seemingly given to the Cameroonian professional Kevin Mefede to lead the front line, with the possibility of giving the Brazilian Matheus Silva an opportunity depending on the course of the match and tactical needs.

Al-Nahhas relies on the movements of Nigerian Ibrahim Tomiyo on the left wing, with his tendency to move inward and increase the numerical presence inside the penalty area, a strategy that resulted in a clear advantage in the first leg.

The indications are that Al-Nahhas will lean towards defensive caution in the second leg, focusing on closing spaces in front of Al Wasl players and reducing technical gaps, especially since the Emirati team will try to exploit the home ground and crowd advantage to overturn the result.

It is expected that Al-Zawraa will rely on tight defensive organization with resorting to quick counter-attacks, taking advantage of the spaces that Al Wasl might leave if they push forward offensively.

The first leg saw one of the Emirati team's players being sent off, which gave Al-Zawraa a numerical advantage that helped decide the encounter, but the second leg might present a different scenario requiring doubled focus.

Al-Zawraa enters this stage after a series of changes in its roster during the winter transfer period, most notably the departure of Jordanian Nizar Al-Rashdan and the transfer of young Haider Abdul Karim to Al-Nassr Saudi Club, which forced the technical staff to rearrange their plans.

In a related context, the Iraqi Football Association decided to postpone Al-Zawraa's match against Amanat Baghdad in the 18th round of the Iraqi Stars League until further notice, in order to give the team enough time to prepare for the crucial Asian encounter.