Iran winger Gholizadeh out of World Cup after injury in Polish league

LONDON: (May 5) (AP) Iran winger Ali Gholizadeh will miss the World Cup in north America after suffering a serious knee injury playing in the Polish league, his club Lech Poznan said late Monday.

The 30-year-old Gholizadeh played in all three of Iran’s games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and in both of the squad’s warmup games in March in Turkey.

Iran is preparing to go to the United States in June to start the World Cup in a group with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. The first two games are in Inglewood, California and the third in Seattle. If Iran finishes second in the group, the team could face the U.S. in the round of 32.