Inter Milan striker Mehdi Taremi remains stranded in Tehran as closed Iranian airspace prevents his departure for the Club World Cup in the United States.
The 32-year-old forward cannot reach Los Angeles to join his teammates following Israeli military strikes on Thursday targeting nuclear sites and Iranian commanders.
All flights from Iranian airports have been grounded amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
The Serie A side face Mexican club Monterrey at 2am on Wednesday in their Group E opener, a match Taremi will now miss.
Iran and Isreal have attacked each other with air strikes leading to airspace being shut down
Getty
The Iranian international had been in his homeland to receive Iran's Footballer of the Year award.
He scored for Iran in their 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over North Korea in Tehran on Tuesday night.
Taremi was scheduled to take a flight on Saturday to join his Inter teammates, but found himself unable to leave the country.
JUST IN: Ange Postecoglou 'lined up' for next managerial role in Saudi Arabia
Mehdi Taremi had scored in Iran's 3-0 win over North Korea
Reuters
Italian media reports indicate the forward will not feature in any of the tournament's matches, regardless of whether Iranian airspace reopens.
The escalating conflict has seen Iran retaliate by targeting Tel Aviv, with dozens reported dead.
Tehran has issued warnings that any country participating in repelling Iranian attacks on Israel would see its regional bases targeted.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for de-escalation on Saturday, stating: "I am absolutely clear that this needs to de-escalate."
READ MORE: Fifa panics amid ticket crisis for Club World Cup and resorts to moving fans to face TV cameras
France was also implicated in Iran's threat, which came as Israel warned "Tehran will burn" if Iran continues targeting Israeli civilians.
Taremi, 32, joined Inter from Porto last year and made 26 Serie A appearances this season, though only seven were starts.
He also featured 12 times in their Champions League campaign but was an unused substitute in the 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
Inter also face Japanese club Urawa Red Diamonds and South African giants River Plate in their group stage campaign.
The Serie A runners-up are among twelve European sides competing in the new 32-team tournament, which runs until 14 July.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
The lub World Cup kicked off early Sunday morning as Inter Miami drew 0-0 with Egyptian side Al Ahly
Getty
Chelsea and Manchester City represent the Premier League in the controversial competition, which offers a £775million prize fund.
Winners stand to collect close to £100million for seven matches, which is higher than the figure Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain received for their triumph last month.
Many players have complained about participating in a tournament scheduled during their typical off-season break.
The competition began on Saturday night with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami drawing 0-0 with Al Ahly at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
Taremi's absence compounds Inter's challenges in a tournament already facing criticism from players about its timing during the traditional off-season break.
Most Read
