Jalal Hosseini Left Out of Team Melli in Surprise Move: ESPN


Jalal Hosseini Left Out of Team Melli in Surprise Move: ESPN

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has reduced his 35-man provisional 2018 World Cup squad to 24, leaving out veteran defender Jalal Hosseini in a surprise move, espn.com wrote.

Hosseini has played over 100 times for Iran, featured in 11 World Cup qualifiers and was expected to go to Russia for Group B games against Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

The 36 year-old former captain has, however, been named as one of four standby players along with LA-based Steven Beitashour, Vouria Ghafouri as well as highly-rated Belgian-based striker Kaveh Rezaei.

Queiroz has taken his team, who is looking to reach the second round for the first time in five World Cup appearances, to Turkey for warm-up games with Turkey and Greece.

Iranian hopes are likely to fall on the shoulders of star attackers Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who finished top scorer of the Netherlands Eredivisie league, and Sardar Azmoun of Rubin Kazan in Russia.

The deadline to name the final squad of 23 is June 4.

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