Iraq lineup vs. Senegal: Predicted XI for World Cup 2026 clash amid possible Aymen Hussein injury blow

Iraq are sweating over the fitness of star forward Aymen Hussein ahead of Friday's crucial World Cup 2026 clash against Senegal after he went off injured before the half-hour mark against France.

The talismanic striker's potential absence would be a severe blow for the Usood al-Rafidayn, who currently sit bottom of Group I, given that he netted eight times during qualifying and has scored his nation's only goal at the 2026 finals.

With Hussein highly unlikely to feature from the off, frontman Ali Al-Hamadi is widely backed to lead the line for Graham Arnold's side.

It remains to be seen if Arnold will also hand Mohanad Ali his first World Cup start, with the forward's impressive haul of 27 international goals bettered only by Hussein's tally of 34 in the current squad.

Instead, Al-Hamadi is expected to be supported in the final third by Ahmed Qasem and Ibrahim Bayesh in a dynamic attacking system.

In the engine room, Zaid Ismail and Amir Al-Ammari should form a steady central partnership alongside former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal to dictate the tempo against the West African giants.

Further back, a settled defensive line is set to feature Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashem and Merchas Doski.

This four-man rearguard will line up directly ahead of goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who faces another demanding evening between the sticks as the Lions of Mesopotamia hunt for a vital result to keep their faint tournament dreams alive.

Iraq possible starting lineup:

Basil; Ali, Tahseen, Hashem, Doski; Ismail, Al-Ammari, Iqbal; Qasem, Al-Hamadi, Bayesh

> Click here to see how Senegal could line up against Iraq