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Football Palestine has learned that the upcoming AFC Asian Cup squad will feature neither defender Mohammed Saleh nor midfielder Mohammed Yamin.
The pair of players have been mainstays of Makram Daboub’s squads since he took over with both players starting every single match of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign.
Mohammed Yamin’s 39 appearances make him the 15th most capped player in national team history while Mohammed Saleh is a veteran of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign- the only center back in the side with tournament experience.
The writing on the wall for both players as neither was present at the start of the current training camp in Algeria. Those absences were against the wishes of the coaching staff that wanted both to be present in order to build fitness.
Mohammed Yamin is reportedly angry about not featuring in the game against Australia. In spite of not traveling to Algeria, sources confirmed to Football Palestine that Makram Daboub was willing to give him a reprieve but in the end it was decided to exclude the player all together.
Mohammed Saleh was expected to join the side in Saudi Arabia following an excused absence to take care of family issues. As of Thursday, the player had still not joined his teammates who had already been in the country for four days. Football Palestine understands that it is unlikely for the defender to be included in the final squad as he is without a club and it will be nearly impossible to build up his fitness in just two weeks.
The absences should open a door for several players fighting to make their Asian Cup debuts. Hamza Hussien and El-Mehdi Issa are the likely benefactors having impressed the staff with their progress.
