Al Jazira youngster Khalfan Mubarak’s blistering start to the season has been rewarded with a late recall by the UAE for next week’s crucial World Cup 2018 qualifier at home to Iraq.
Mubarak, 21, has produced one goal and two assists in six electric run-outs as the Pride of Abu Dhabi have soared to second place in the nascent Arabian Gulf League-standings.
Such stellar form from the player – who made two debut appearances in June’s King’s Cup – has also caught the eye of national boss Mahdi Ali, who has turned to him after Al Wahda forward Mohamed Al Akbari became the latest player ruled out of November 15’s high-pressure fixture at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium through injury.
“We have been suffering injuries because of the overlap of competitions in this season,” said team manager Mohammed Obeid Hammad. “There are a number of players who are injured and suffering from stress.
“But these things are not a problem, the coaching staff has a policy in the selection list to meet all our needs. The injuries that have occurred for the players were in the league matches and the coach is confident in their choice.
“He is familiar with how long they will be absent and we hope they return as soon as possible.”
Al Ain centre midfielder Amer Abdulrahman was withdrawn at the weekend, while club-mate and veteran centre-back Ismail Ahmed is yet to feature in training. Al Nasr striker Salem Saleh was drafted in to the 23-man roster on Friday.
The Whites currently sit fourth in Group B after last month’s 3-0 humiliation in Saudi Arabia. Only the top two from the third-and-final round are guaranteed to progress to Russia, with a battle to finish third and fight to contest the inter-confederation play-off looming.
The next round of matches present a chance to make up ground, with Japan and the Saudis clashing. Hammad urged the UAE’s ‘Golden Generation’ to get the win which “will determine our destiny”.
He said: “We are looking forward to winning the game against Iraq and we have great confidence in the players.
“Mathematically, we need to correct the path and we should take advantage of the meetings of the other teams.
“Certainly, the match against Iraq will determine our destiny in the play-offs. Everyone understands its difficulty and the importance of winning.”
A change to their preparations has also been made, with Wednesday’s friendly against Bahrain moved from Al Ain’s Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium to Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.