The Iraqi Football Association announced today, Friday, the replacement of three players in Iraq's squad participating in the 2025 Arab Cup in Qatar, due to injuries that prevented them from taking part in the upcoming competitions.

The Iraqi national team delegation is scheduled to head to the Qatari capital, Doha, tomorrow, Saturday, after the players gathered at the preparation headquarters in the capital, Baghdad, where most of the players have already joined, including the Saudi Al-Najma player Ali Jassim.

The association stated in an official statement that the national team coach, Graham Arnold, decided to call up players Amjad Atwan, Zaid Ismail, and Sherko Karim instead of Ibrahim Bayish, Osama Wasid, and Amir Sabah, after medical reports from their clubs confirmed they had not fully recovered.

Sources close to the technical staff confirmed: "Coach Graham Arnold does not want to include players who are not fully ready to play matches, emphasizing his keenness to compete in the tournament with a physically complete team and to give full opportunity to all players registered in the final squad."

The source pointed out that after confirming the absence of the three injured players, the coach recalculated his available positions, focusing on strengthening the midfield, especially the defensive midfield position, which was previously occupied only by Osama Rashid and Sajjad Jassim, prompting the inclusion of Amjad Atwan and Zaid Ismail to ensure there are players ready for the matches.

Regarding the right-back position, Arnold decided to include Sherko Karim to complete the formation alongside Mustafa Saadoun, relying on the players who are physically more prepared, amid limited alternatives in the local league.