The technical and administrative staff of the Saudi Arabian national team have excluded Al-Qadsiah midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr from the training camp in Jeddah, ruling him out of the Green Falcons’ squad for the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup (“Khaleeji 27”).
The decision arrived just days before the tournament kicks off on Saudi soil, despite Al-Juwayr participating in camp training sessions, forcing Greek manager Georgios Donis to make a late adjustment to his official roster.
The national team’s official statement characterized the exclusion as stemming from “disciplinary reasons” without detailing the specific incident. Sources confirmed the measure was taken jointly by Donis and team supervisor Fahad Al-Mofarij to enforce squad discipline and deterrence.
While no authoritative source has confirmed the precise infraction, unverified reports circulated suggesting Al-Juwayr ordered food via a delivery service without prior approval from team officials—violating strict dietary guidelines enforced by Donis to ensure match fitness.
Donis ultimately elected to call up Al-Ittihad midfielder Mukhtar Ali to replace Al-Juwayr in the final tournament squad.
The absence of the 23-year-old presents a notable setback given his international record. Al-Juwayr has earned 39 caps for the Saudi national team (29 starts), registering six goals and four assists across 2,352 minutes of action.
Al-Juwayr contributed three goals during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, added three goals across the 2023 and 2025 Gulf Cup editions, and featured in all three of Saudi Arabia’s matches at the recent World Cup.
At club level with Al-Qadsiah this season, the midfielder has made nine appearances across all competitions, providing three assists—including two key passes in seven Saudi Pro League appearances.
Saudi Arabia will launch their Gulf Cup campaign against Kuwait on September 23, followed by a fixture against Oman on September 26, before concluding their Group A schedule against Iraq on September 29.
Hosted in Jeddah from September 23 to October 6, the tournament sees Saudi Arabia aiming to reclaim a trophy they last lifted in 2003. However, Donis must now reconfigure his midfield playmaking setup following the late loss of Al-Juwayr ahead of the opening match.
