Mohanad Ali nears return and puts Al Talaba as a gateway

Mohanad Ali, the star of the Iraq national team and Al-Shorta, is preparing to return to the pitch after the injury that kept him away from it. He was not considered by Iraq coach Graham Arnold for the Gulf Cup AFC 27 in Saudi Arabia.

Since the beginning of September, Mimy has been sidelined due to injury, and thus missed matches for Al-Shorta in the Iraq Stars League, as well as their game against Al-Seeb in the AFC Champions League, which ended in a narrow victory for Al-Qithara Al-Khadra with a score of one goal.

Mimi has completed his rehabilitation program in Qatar following the injury he sustained, under the supervision and monitoring of the medical staff at Aspetar Hospital, as he has recovered from his injury well.

Mimi has returned to Iraq at the end of last month and has recently joined team training gradually. He has undergone continuous assessments by the medical and technical staff, who have prepared reports on the extent of his physical readiness.

Sources have reported that Mimy has shown great enthusiasm in the training sessions of Al-Shorta as they prepare for the resumption of the AFC Champions League matches, with Al-Shorta set to face Al Talaba in the ninth round of the tournament.

Iraqi forward Mohanad Ali has impressed his coach Sami Al-Trabelsi, who expressed great happiness with his readiness but warned about the player's participation. Therefore, he may only introduce him in the last 15 minutes of the match, out of concern for his safety.

Sources revealed: "Iraqi forward Mohanad Ali was in constant contact with Iraq coach Graham Arnold, who was keen to know every detail about Mohanad Ali's injury with Al-Shorta. Because the injury was somewhat serious, he was not called up to participate in the AFC Asian Cup."

Mimi aims to participate in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 with Iraq, and before that, he wants to take part in the four-nation tournament in Basra, as he wants to prove to the Iraq coach that he is still an important striker for the national team.

Mohanad Ali Mimy has an impressive record with the Iraq national team, having played 71 international matches and scored 26 goals since joining the Lions of Mesopotamia in 2017. His current market value is €1.2 million, making him one of the highest-valued players in the Iraq national team.