Iran coach Branko Ivankovic revealed his probable lineup for the Group D World Cup match against Mexico a day before the game, even as injury concerns threatened to disrupt his squad's preparations.
The 12 players he identified included goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour, five defenders, four midfielders, and forwards Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian. Defender Sattar Zare was absent from the list after damaging cruciate ligaments in his right knee and was awaiting further medical evaluation. Pas club defender Hadi Shakouri was on standby as a potential replacement.
Ivankovic noted that Shakouri had narrowly missed the original 23-man squad and was already listed as a reserve. Two other players, Ali Karimi and Mehdi Mahdavikia, made the provisional lineup despite recovering from ankle and back injuries. Midfielder Fereydoon Zandi was ruled out of the opener due to illness combined with a muscle injury.
Iran, appearing in the World Cup for the third time, have yet to advance past the group stage. They share Group D with Mexico, Portugal, and Angola.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.