Versatile Al Ahli defender Essa Santo’s 2015-16 Arabian Gulf League campaign could be over before it has even begun after he picked up a serious knee injury.

Santo, 28, joined the Red Knights last summer from Al Wahda. He went on to make 16 top-flight appearances, also helping his new club to reach the impending AFC Champions League quarter-finals.

But the UAE international’s role in the upcoming season looks set to be severely diminished, a problem during the ongoing pre-season training camp in Italy forcing him to undergo surgery today.

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“Essa Santo was subjected to a serious injury in training on Friday and preliminary tests showed he sustained cruciate ligament damage,” Ahli tweeted yesterday. “Santo is leaving for France on Monday for further tests and surgery ASAP.”

Ahli are fortunate to boast significant depth in the full-back positions Santo is usually deployed in, fellow Whites stars Abdelaziz Haikal and Abdulaziz Sanqour regulars for boss Cosmin Olaroiu. The blow could force the dethroned champions into the domestic market, or deploy South Korean defensive midfielder at centre-back to allow Walid Abbas to play at left-back.

A cruciate ligament injury requiring surgery should keep Santo out of action for at least six months, meaning he will be unavailable for the remaining rounds of Asia’s premier club competition as the Red Knights prepare to play Iran’s Naft Tehran on August 26 and September 16.