Officially.. Confirmation of Merchas Doski's absence from the Basra friendly tournament

Iraq's head coach Graham Arnold has suffered a second painful setback on the technical front just days before the start of the Basra Four Nations friendly tournament, scheduled to take place from November 13 to 17 at the Basra International Stadium, featuring the national teams of Iraq, Iran, Palestine, and Lebanon.

The tournament holds exceptional importance; data and leaks indicate that it will be the final stop and farewell dance for coach Arnold with the Iraq national team, amid serious intentions within the Iraqi Football Association to part ways with the Australian coach, taking advantage of the postponement of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and the absence of any upcoming official commitments for the national team.

The knee injury was not the first obstacle facing Arnold; it was preceded by the initial blow of the final refusal from the professional at Hammarby, Montader Madjed, to join the Iraqi squad due to his desire to focus on the Swedish league competitions.

The second blow came as a harsh shock; the Iraqi Football Association announced in an official statement that detailed medical examinations confirmed that Iraq's left-back Merchas Doski sustained a knee injury during his recent participation with his team Viktoria Plzeň.

Based on the medical report and the recommendation of the technical staff, it has been officially decided to call up Al-Karma's Ahmed Hassan Mkenzi to join the national team squad as an emergency replacement for Doski in the upcoming tournament.

The absence of Merchas Doski is a significant tactical loss for Arnold's options, considering he is the key player in the left-back position. He has played 36 international matches and scored a historic goal against the Spanish national team in a friendly before the FIFA World Cup, in addition to being present in all of Iraq's matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

In light of these absences, tactical forecasts suggest that Arnold will primarily rely on the standout full-back of Al-Shorta, Ahmed Yahya; who is enjoying the best period of his career and has directly contributed to Al-Shorta's Asian and local results, benefiting from his high flexibility in playing as both a full-back and left winger, and the memories of his crucial assist for Karar Nabeel's goal against Kuwait in the FIFA World Cup 27.