Javad Nekounam out for six months

As if Team Melli needed more bad luck, the news out of Pamplona is not very good. Iran midfielder Javad Nekounam is out with a serious knee injury.

This is almost as bad as the injuries sustained by Hashemian, Jabbary, or Karimi before the World Cup in 2006. The problem is that Nekounam was quickly becoming themidfield anchor for Team Melli and was on course to establish himself as one of the more valuable foreign exports in Ossasuna and La Liga.

We all wish Javad a quick and complete recovery.