TEHRAN – Iran national football team classy winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh will not be fit for the match against Yemen in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

Albion's record signing, who sustained hamstring damage in the 3-1 defeat at Everton in October, is not fit for Iran’s opening match .

Team Melli have been scheduled to meet Yemen in Group D of the competition in Abu Dhabi, the UAE on Monday.

“From a medical and technical point of view, we have a strong belief that he will be able to recover for the competition, although possibly not for the first stage,” Queiroz had already said.

Iran go into the tournament as one of the favorites, but injuries to a number of key players including Saeid Ezatolahi, Ali Golizadeh and Sadegh Moharrami could impact their run in the competition.

Team Melli begin their campaign against Yemen before squaring off against Vietnam and Iraq as they chase their first Asian Cup title since 1976.