Al Ahli's Fabio Cannavaro remains sidelined ahead of Dubai match

DUBAI // Al Ahli will again be without Fabio Cannavaro tonight when they travel to Dubai in their first league game since David O’Leary was sacked last week.

The World Cup-winning Italian, 37, has failed to recover from the knee injury that kept him out of the 5-1 defeat at Al Jazira earlier this month, meaning Abdulhameed al Mishtiki, the caretaker coach, will be without his highest paid and most experienced player.

Al Mishtiki will also be without Cannavaro’s regular centre-half partner, Khalid Mohammed, who is sidelined with the injury that saw him withdrawn at half time against Jazira. And just to compound the new manager’s problems, Yousif Abdulla, the goalkeeper, has an eye infection and will miss the game.

Obaid al Taweela will take his place and the club will hope he has benefited from working with Tony Coton, the goalkeeping coach, who used to coach the shot stoppers at Manchester United.

kaffleck@thenational.ae