Julen Lopetegui has named a 26-man Qatar squad for the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia, with Tarek Salman returning after missing the World Cup, Lusail midfielder Naif al-Hadhrami earning a recall after a two-year absence and Hashim Ali also making the cut.
Al Hashemi al-Hussein, Lucas Mendes and forward Mohammed Muntari, who has struggled with injuries, have been left out.
Beyond those changes, however, there is little fresh about Lopetegui's selection, with the Spaniard sticking largely to the same core that represented Qatar at the World Cup in North America in June and July. The coach has also included several players who have not been regular starters for their clubs.
Lopetegui has been a regular presence at Qatar Stars League matches in recent weeks as he assessed his options ahead of the tournament. His final squad, though, points to continuity rather than a major overhaul.
Veteran forward Hassan al-Haydos is also in the squad. The 35-year-old Al Sadd forward reversed his decision to retire from international football ahead of the World Cup qualifiers and returned to the national team at Lopetegui's request. He scored in Qatar's 3-1 defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup but was mostly used as a substitute following his return.
Striker Akram Afif and Almoez Ali remain the main attacking figures, while goalkeepers Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham and Salah Zakaria have retained their places.
Midfielder Assim Madibo is also included despite being handed a five-match ban for the tackle that broke the leg of Canada midfielder Ismael Kone during Qatar's 6-0 defeat in Vancouver at the World Cup.
Qatar endured another group-stage exit at the World Cup, opening with a spirited 1-1 draw against Switzerland to earn their first point in the football showpiece before suffering heavy defeats by Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Despite that campaign, Lopetegui appears to retain the backing of the Qatar Football Association, with the team's main priority now being to defend their AFC Asian Cup title. Saudi Arabia will host the tournament from January 7 to February 5, 2027, with Qatar bidding for a third successive Asian Cup crown.
Before then, Qatar will begin their Gulf Cup campaign in Group B against defending champions Bahrain on September 24. They will face Yemen three days later before completing the group stage against the United Arab Emirates on September 30.
Hosts Saudi Arabia are in Group A alongside Iraq, Oman and Kuwait. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
Kuwait are the most successful team in Gulf Cup history with 10 titles, followed by Iraq with four. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have won the tournament three times each, while Oman, the UAE and Bahrain have two titles apiece. Yemen have yet to win the competition.
The tournament will be played from September 23 to October 6, with matches at Jeddah's King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium.
