6/10/2006
Karolos Grohmann

NUREMBERG (Reuters) – Iran defender Sattar Zare is expected to miss Sunday's Group D match against Mexico in Nuremberg and could be out of the World Cup with an injury, Iran coach Branko Ivankovic said on Saturday.

"During practice two days ago, after a wrong move he felt pain in his right knee. He has problems with the ligaments," the Croat said.

Ivankovic told Reuters Iran had already contacted FIFA to replace him with Hadi Shakoury in case he could not play.

"We have made the contacts with officials because there is the 24-hour rule and so if Zare cannot play then we are allowed to call up Shakoury."

Teams can call up replacements until up to 24 hours before their first game.

A FIFA official told Reuters if Iran had started the procedure even before deciding whether Zare was fit to play and as long as it was within the 24-hour limit, they could bring in a replacement.

Zare was expected to start against Mexico, Ivankovic said. Midfield man Ferydoon Zandi, another first choice, has already been ruled out.

"We have these problems with the injured players. They were supposed to be in the team tomorrow but that is not possible," Ivankovic said.

"That is football, what can you do," the coach said, adding he would have liked to have had Shakoury with him in the first place.

"I was not satisfied I could not use him in the (original) squad. He is a young and strong defender," he said.

Ivankovic, who has also planned a training session on the morning of the match, gave a list of 12 names for his starting lineup on Sunday.

This included Mehdi Mahdavikia, who had recovered from a back problem and fellow midfielder Ali Karimi, who picked up an ankle injury in March.

The others were keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour, Hossein Kaebi, Rahman Rezaei, Yahya Golmohammadi, Mohammad Nosrati, Javad Nekounam, Andranik Teymoorian, Vahid Hashemian, Ali Daei and Amir Sadeghi.

"The final decision we will make before the match," Ivankovic said. "But be sure we have come here to play strong. Strong is what you will see tomorrow."