• This situation has created a state of "phobia" among the rest of the national team stars, who now play with extreme caution at their clubs

With the countdown to Jordan's historic first participation in the 2026 World Cup finals underway, the excitement among the "Nashama" players has turned into anxiety and fear, as the "injury curse" now threatens the lifelong dream of several key players.

December "black month".. and the list of victims

The current December has brought no good news for Jordanian football; rather, it has been a "harsh" month, witnessing the fall of three influential stars, significantly reducing their chances of appearing on the world stage:

• Yazan Al-Naimat and Adham Al-Quraishi: suffered ACL injuries, the most feared for players, requiring 6 to 9 months of recovery, making their World Cup participation extremely difficult without a "medical miracle."

• Tamer Bani Odeh: received a painful blow on Tuesday, with his club West Bromwich Albion announcing he needs surgery due to a thigh tear, sidelining him for four months.

• Ihsan Haddad: still undergoing treatment for an injury sustained six months ago, racing against time to regain fitness.

Race against time.. and caution among the fit

The chances of this quartet participating are very slim, not only due to recovery periods, but also because they will miss crucial preparation phases, most notably the international break in March, complicating the coaching staff's ability to rely on them.

This situation has created a state of "phobia" among the remaining team stars, who now play with extreme caution at their clubs, avoiding any strong collisions that could cost them missing the most important event in their football careers.