Iran's international football defender Saeid Ezatolahi has been ruled out of the upcoming AFC Asian Cup tournament with a foot injury.
Ezatolahi expressed his disappointment at missing the competition.
"I feel really bad because of missing the AFC Asian Cup.... In the 2018 World Cup, I did my best to make the Iranian people happy but I've been ruled out the Asian Cup and I cannot be a part of Team Melli (national team)," Ezatolahi said on Tuesday.
Ezatolahi, who currently plays in English championship side Reading, was a member of the Iranian national team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Spain and Portugal.
Iran have been drawn in Group D of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup alongside Vietnam, Iraq and Yemen.
They will start their journey with a match against Yemen on January 7 before facing Vietnam on January 12 and Iraq on January 16.
--IANS
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