Sepahan lose Karimi

AFC - Iran’s AFC Champions League strugglers Sepahan received a jolt two days ahead of their Group A match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad when their star striker Mahmoud Karimi was ruled out for the rest of the season due to an eye injury.

Karimi, who scored in the first leg of their AFC Champions League 2007 final against Urawa Reds, was injured during an Iran Pro League match against Mes on Friday when a Rasoul Mirtoroghi shot from close range hit his face and seriously injured his left eye capillary.

Sepahan’s physician Rabiee told the Mehr news agency: “His eye was intensively injured and he will undergo a surgery but he needs a recovery period which would take until the end of the season.”

Sepahan coach Jorvan Vieira will have to look for another option before flying out to Jeddah for the return fixture against the Saudi Arabian giants Al Ittihad on April 23.

The Isfahan-based side is languishing at the bottom of the group with three points, three less than Uzbekistan’s Kuruvchi and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad.