Dr. Abdulla Misfir, the caretaker coach of the team, will announce his 24-strong squad on Thursday and is expected to include 13 players from the amateur league for the first time ever, as the UAE's technical staff have opted not to invite players from the clubs who are playing in the AFC Champions League - Al Jazira, Bani Yas, Al Shabab and Al Nasr - as well as those in the GCC Champions League - Al Wahda and Al Wasl.
The invitation of the players from amateur clubs is a step towards rebuilding the team after the UAE's disappointing results in the recent qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. Their next competitive matches will be in the Arab Nations Cup in Saudi Arabia in June.
The match, which will not be televised, will be held in Fujairah with the players gathering after the end of the 18th week of the Etisalat Pro League on Saturday.
Players from Al Ain and Al Ahli will form the backbone of the team, including Khalid Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Nasir, Muhannad Al Enazy and Abdul Aziz Fayez, alongside Tariq Ahmad, while Dubai's Hassan Mohammad and Hassan Abdul Rahman, Ali Khamis from Ajman and Hassan Mohammad from Sharjah will surely be in the line-up for the match.
The Iranian team will also miss the services of players who will be with their clubs for AFC Champions League matches on Tuesday and Wednesday and the players who play in Europe.