Nuremburg: Ali Daei, Iran's captain and top international scorer, will likely miss the next World Cup match with Portugal because of a back injury.
"He suffered a hit in the back during yesterday's game and probably won't be fit to play," coach Branko Ivankovic said on Monday.
A 3-1 loss to Mexico on Sunday has deflated the team's spirits because the openig match in Group D was seen as crucial to Iran's hopes of advancing ino the knockout phase.
On Monday, the players were engaged in some light practice next to their
hotel before boarding a flight back to the team's base in Friedrchshaen.
The loss of Daei, 37, is seen as another blow to Iran's dwindling chances of making it to the secod round.
Daei's 145 caps and 109 goals make him the top international scorer in
the history of the game.
Team doctor Sas Jankovic said the three players from Germany's Bundesliga - Bayern Munich playmaker Ali Karimi, forward Mehdi Mahdavikia of Hamburger SV, and Vahid Hashemian of Hannover 96 - will be ready for the Portugal match.
The three - who were all sidelined with injuries in the past several months - faded fast in the second half on Moday.
Mexico capitalised on a bad mistake by defender Rahman Rezaei, who plays for Italy's Serie A club Messina, to seal Iran's fate.
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