Saudi Arabia name World Cup squad without regular top-flight keeper

Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard named four goalkeepers, including three who are not regulars at their clubs, in a preliminary 32-man squad for the Qatar World Cup starting next month.The French coach called up Mohamed al-Owais, Fawaz al-Qarni and Nawaf al-Aqidi, who are not first choices for Al Hilal, Al Shabab and Al Nassr respectively. The fourth keeper, Mohamed al-Yami, plays for second-tier Al Ahly.Renard recalled Ittihad midfielder Abdulrahman al-Aboud after he was left out of September’s friendlies. He also called up Abha midfielder Riyadh Sharahili, 29, who made his international debut last month. Hilal duo Mohamed Kanno and Abdulelah al-Malki were also included in the squad even though they have not played this season. Al-Malki has been out since suffering a serious knee injury in February.The Saudis play five warm-up games in Abu Dhabi against North Macedonia, Albania, Honduras, Iceland and Panama this month and in early November. Saudi Arabia play in Group C in Qatar along with Argentina, Mexico and Poland. They held fellow World Cup finalists Ecuador and the United States to goalless draws last month.Saudi Squad:Goalkeepers: Mohamed al-Owais (Al Hilal), Fawaz al-Qarni (Al Shabab) Nawaf al-Aqidi (Al Nassr), Mohamed al-Yami (Al Ahly)Defenders: Yasser al-Shahrani (Al Hilal) Ali al-Bulaihi (Al Hilal) Abdulelah al-Amri (Al Nassr) Abdullah Madu (Al Nassr) Hassan Tambakti (Al Shabab) Sultan al-Ghanam (Al Nassr) Ahmed Bamsaud (Ittihad) Mohamed al-Breik (Al Hilal) Saud Abdulhamid (Al Hilal)Midfielders: Salman al-Faraj (Al Hilal) Riyadh Sharahili (Abha) Ali al-Hassan (Al Nassr) Mohamed Kanno (Al Hilal) Abdulelah al-Malki (Al Hilal) Sami al-Najei (Al Nassr) Abdullah Otayf (Al Hilal) Nasser al-Dawsari (Al Hilal) Abdulrahman al-Aboud (Ittihad) Ayman Yahya (Al Nassr) Fahad al-Muwallad (Al Shabab) Nawaf al-Abed (Al Shabab) Salem al-Dawsari (Al Hilal) Hattan Bahebri (Al Shabab)Forwards: Haitham Asiri (Al Ahly) Abdullah Radif (Al Taawoun) Abdullah al-Hamdan (Al Hilal) Saleh al-Shehri (Al Hilal) Firas al-Buraikan (Al Fateh) World Cup ‘attainable goal’ for Dybala despite thigh injury Paulo Dybala still has a chance of going to the World Cup despite the Argentina forward picking up a thigh injury at the weekend, a source told AFP yesterday. Dybala was in tears after limping out of Roma’s 2-1 Serie A win over Lecce on Sunday, when he injured his left thigh while taking the match’s decisive penalty.Italian media reported that Dybala underwent scans yesterday and that the injury is expected to keep him out of action for at least a month. A source said that the tournament, which starts on November 20, was an “attainable goal” for the 28-year-old, who has 34 caps for his country, scoring three times.Roma coach Jose Mourinho had said after the match that he wasn’t expecting to have Dybala back until when Serie A restarts after the World Cup, in January. However a month-long absence would allow him to return to action for Roma’s final game before football’s elite decamp to Qatar, against Torino on November 13.Dybala has been an immediate hit at Roma, scoring seven times in 11 appearances in all competitions and setting up two more goals since arriving as a free agent in the summer.