Dzagoev's World Cup campaign as good as over, says doctor

The CSKA Moscow midfielder, 27, clutched his left hamstring midway the first half and was subsequently substituted in the 24th minute.

Alan Dzagoev of Russia holds his leg as he goes down injured during the World Cup match against Saudi Arabia.

World Cup host Russia scripted a memorable 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia on Thursday but in the process lost influential playmaker Alan Dzagoev to a hamstring injury. The CSKA Moscow midfielder clutched his left hamstring midway the first half and was subsequently substituted in the 24th minute. 

"Today, Alan Dzagoev performed an MRI, which resulted in damage to the muscles of the hamstrings. The terms of the player's treatment will be determined within the next 24 hours." the Russian team said in a statement on Twitter.

Read: Russia confirms Dzagoev needs scan on hamstring injury

Dr. Kannan Pugazhendi, founder of SPARRC (Sports Performance Assessment Rehabilitation Research Counseling Institute Sports and fitness medicine centre) told  Sportstar  that the Russian's World Cup campaign could be as good as over.

"Hamstring injuries usually take at least 2-3 weeks to heal. It's very unlikely that he will feature in the group stages. It could be a minor tear but it will be very tough for Dzagoev to immediately get back to playing at this intensity," he said. 

The 27-year-old has suffered hamstring injuries on multiple occasions in his career and most recently endured an Achilles tendon injury in October last year.

Adding further detail to the nature of the injury, he said, "The strain occurs due to a tightness in the quadriceps. A tightness in the quadriceps causes a tear in the hamstring at the back of the leg," he said. 

"A lack of proper recovery could have also caused the injury. Recovery is a very important component," he added. 

Dzagoev is the first casualty of the World Cup but joins a list of stars, including the likes of Dani Alves, Nicklas Bendtner, Manuel Lanzini and Sergio Romero. 

Russia, however, coped well with Dzagoev's injury as substitute Denis Cherychev netted a wonderful brace to lead the home side to a comfortable victory.