According to "Varzesh3", the injury list of Persepolis grew even longer on the day of the match against Foolad. Mohammad Khodabandelou, who was in the Reds' starting lineup from the beginning, was injured during the match, so that Mehdi Tartar, after his troubles in selecting the lineup, faced a fresh worry during the game as well.

Before this match, Persepolis were already facing injuries to Oston Urunov, Hossein Abarghouei and Mohammadmahdi Zareh. Zareh, despite being present at the pre-match camp, did not find the conditions to be in the starting lineup and was benched for the first time in the current season. Abarghouei was also not ready to accompany the team, so that Persepolis's central defensive pairing changed completely compared to the previous match.

In such circumstances, Tartar used Mohammad Hossein Kanaanizadegan and Danial Iri at the heart of the defense. Kanaanizadegan had just put his injury spell behind him and returned to the lineup, and Iri was experiencing his first fixed start of the new season. In the attacking section too, Urunov's absence was another reason for the changes to the Reds' lineup against Foolad.

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However, the troubles of the Persepolis head coach were not limited to the pre-match changes, and Khodabandelou was also injured during the game. The midfielder who, alongside Pouya Pourali, has been one of Tartar's trusted pieces in midfield, and whose injury brings concern over the condition of another of Persepolis's regular players.

Thus, in a short span, four players of Persepolis's starting lineup have faced injury problems. Urunov in the attacking section, Zareh and Abarghouei in the defensive line, and now Khodabandelou in midfield, are the players whose injuries have affected Tartar's plans.

The severity of Khodabandelou's injury and the time of his return must be determined after medical examinations, but the addition of this midfielder's name to the ranks of the injured made Tartar's difficult day against Foolad even harder. Pouria Latififar has come onto the pitch in his place for now.

Source: Varzesh3