Greek coach Georgios Donis, the manager of the Saudi Arabia national team, has settled on the outline of the line-up that will face Iraq tomorrow, Tuesday, in the third and final round of group-stage matches at the "Gulf Cup 27" currently being held in Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia had already booked their place in the semi-finals before this final round. Yet the Iraq clash still matters. Top spot in the group is up for grabs, and the coaching staff want to close out the group stage on a high and hand the players an extra lift before the knockout rounds.
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Donis is expected to lean on players capable of executing his tactical ideas while keeping the balance between the lines and treating Iraq with caution, especially given the injuries that have hit the Saudi squad during the tournament.
Here is the expected line-up for Saudi Arabia against Iraq:
Goalkeeper: Mohammed Al-Owais.
Defence: Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Jihad Zikri, Muteb Al-Harbi.
Midfield: Mohamed Kanno, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat.
Attack: Abdullah Al-Salem, Hammam Al-Hammami, Sultan Mandash.
Qualification is secured, but the meeting with Iraq still carries weight. It offers Saudi Arabia the chance to seal top spot in the group, and it lets Donis gauge the readiness of the players he trusts before the knockout tie ahead.