TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (MNA) � Iran�s Portuguese national football squad manager has invited 23 players for the qualifiers of Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 and UAE 2019 Asian Nation�s Cup.

The list drops the names of Masoud Shojaei, once famous legionnaire in Spanish La Liga and now in Al-Shahania Sports Club�in the�Qatar Stars League and Karim Ansarifard former Traktorsazi striker and current striker of Panionios FC, the official website of Iran�s Football Federation report said.

Goalkeepers are: Alireze Haqiqi, Alireza Beiranvand, and Mohammadreza Ekhbari.

Defenders: Wouria Ghafouri, Ramin Rezaiian, Mohammad Hossein Kan�ani, Pejman Montazeri, Seyed Jalal Hosseini, Morteza Pouraliganji, Milad Mohammadi, and Mehrdad Qanbari.

Midfielders: Andranik Teimourian, Omid Ebrahimi, Saeid Ezzatollahi, Khosrow Heidari, Ehsan Hajsafi, and Ashkan Dejagah.

Strikers: Mehdi Torabi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Vahid Amiri, Omid Alishah, Sardar Azmoun, and Mehdi Taremi.

The invited players should appear in person in Thursday August 27 in Azadi Hotel. Carlos Queiroz has invited two Esteqlal FC and three Persepolis FC players, dropping as well Sosha Makani from the list.

Mehrdad Pouladi and other players with legal issues of obtaining fake conscription service certificates and still others who are actually in army service, have not been invited.

By Mehr News Agency