Four players injured within twenty minutes, Harbor's grueling schedule is just beginning

Reported by Cheng Shan The first Shanghai derby of the 2026 season concluded, with the defending champion suffering a dual blow of "losing both the match and personnel": their third league defeat, dropping to eleventh place in the standings, and four players injured within 20 minutes in the second half. Starting the season with a -5 point deficit and arduously climbing to -1 point after five rounds, this sudden wave of injuries has made Harbor's pursuit of points exceptionally challenging.

On April 11th evening, 60,141 fans packed Shanghai Stadium to witness this highly anticipated local rivalry. Shenhua applied high-intensity pressing from the outset, effectively stifling Harbor's midfield circulation. In the 52nd minute, Shenhua's right flank player Manafa delivered a cross, and Latang scored with a header, securing the only goal of the match. Before Harbor could organize an effective counterattack, the nightmare of injuries ensued.

In the 55th minute, Gabriel suddenly collapsed without contact, suffering a severe right knee injury and was stretchered off. Just 9 minutes later, midfielder Lu Yongtao sustained a thigh strain and could not continue. At the 67th minute, Jean Claude疑似 suffered a right inner thigh strain and was forced to substitute, prompting Harbor to deploy Wu Lei as an emergency replacement. The storm did not abate; in the 75th minute, substitute Yang Shiyuan pulled his leg muscle while defending, then fell clutching his head, ultimately triggering the "concussion substitution" protocol and was replaced. Thus, Harbor exhausted all substitution slots in an extremely short timeframe, with four being forced injury-related changes, completely disrupting the on-field lineup.

After losing the Shanghai derby 0-1, Muscat took full responsibility. Regarding the disastrous injuries, he stated the team仍需评估. Gabriel underwent comprehensive examination, diagnosed with a ruptured right knee patellar tendon. Following consultations between Chinese and foreign experts, surgery will be arranged promptly. In the coming days, Harbor will conduct further examinations on other injured players.

The injury wave in this derby represents a concentrated outbreak of Harbor's season-long injury woes. Early in the season, defensive core Jiang Guangtai was sidelined long-term due to knee surgery, with an uncertain return date. Attacking core Wu Lei has been plagued by persistent knee issues, strictly limited to around 30 minutes per appearance. Although Leonardo has returned, his form is far from optimal. Additionally, Liu Ruofan, Wang Zhen'ao, Li Xinxiang, Ampem, and others are all unavailable due to various injuries. Observers remarked that Harbor's bench阵容 during the derby was also quite impressive.

Now the injury list adds four more key players,几乎 covering all crucial positions in the midfield and forward lines. Gabriel's severe injury is particularly devastating; the absence of last season's second-top scorer further cripples Harbor's already struggling attack. More严峻的是, if midfielders Lu Yongtao, Jean Claude, and Yang Shiyuan are sidelined, it will directly lead to midfield失控 and disconnect between offense and defense. Currently, over half of Harbor's squad is unavailable due to injuries.

The残酷 reality is that Harbor's grueling schedule is just beginning. This weekend, Harbor will travel to face Shandong Taishan. As a traditional league powerhouse, Taishan recently ended a two-game losing streak with a 1-0 away victory over Henan, boosting their morale. Facing this opponent renowned for strong physical对抗 and tactical discipline, Harbor's depleted squad's away journey is注定 perilous.