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RIYADH: Midfielder Mohammed Kanno will miss the Saudi national team’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against China on Thursday but could be available for the match against Japan on Tuesday, coach Herve Renard revealed on Wednesday.

“Kanno will not be ready for tomorrow’s match, just as he wasn’t for the Australia game, but we hope he can travel with us to Japan,” the Frenchman said. Kanno picked up an injury playing for his club, Al-Hilal, against Al-Taawoun on Saturday.

The Saudis are one of four teams on six points in Group C after six games of the final stage of the Asian qualifiers. With four games left to play, Australia are in second place on seven points and Japan top the group on 16 points. The top two teams from each of the three groups will qualify for the World Cup, while the teams in third and fourth place progress to the play-off phase.

“We expect to perform well,” Renard said of the upcoming double-header. “There is no pressure on us after the Gulf Cup, and we are still fortunate to have a direct qualification opportunity after our previous matches. Qualification is in our hands and we want to win.”

He attributed recent improved performances by China to their Croatian coach, Branko Ivankovic, adding: “Matches against him were tough when he coached Oman, and tomorrow’s match will be no different. China is a well-organized team that excels in attacking transitions and we must be ready for that.”

Renard thanked the Saudi fans for ensuring Thursday’s clash at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh is a sell-out, and highlighted the important role they play in supporting the players.

“We can’t do it alone,” he said. “We need the fans, they are the foundation of our qualification. We need everyone and we must show our desire and determination to win.”

Ivankovic acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s superiority ahead of the clash but expressed confidence in his players’ ability to get a result.

“Saudi Arabia is one of Asia’s top teams,” he said. “They played against Argentina and defeated them in the World Cup. They have the advantage but we believe in our chances and capabilities and want to complete our mission with a positive result.

“We have prepared well for Thursday’s match. We have 15 new players, bringing fresh energy and experience. We know (the Saudis) well — they are an excellent team.”

Recalling his previous encounter with Renard, Ivankovic added: “We faced him when I was with Oman. He is not just a good coach but an outstanding one.”

He also had high praise for the injured Kanno, describing him as “the best Saudi midfielder,” but added: “It doesn’t matter whether he plays or not. We prepare for our opponent with their full squad. That’s our approach.”

SAO PAULO: There will be no Lionel Messi for Argentina and no Neymar for Brazil in two decisive rounds of South American World Cup qualifying.

Ahead of games against tough rivals, coaches Lionel Scaloni and Dorival Junior are still wondering who will replace their stars.

Defending champion Argentina, the leader with 25 points after 12 matches, could secure their place in the 2026 World Cup within days. They play at second-place Uruguay on Friday.

Argentina then host Brazil in Buenos Aires next Tuesday. The last time the two South American powerhouses clashed, Argentina won 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

On Thursday, fifth-place Brazil host fourth-place Colombia. Also this week, Paraguay will host Chile, Peru will take on Bolivia, and Ecuador host Venezuela.

The top six teams will secure direct berths to the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada. The seventh-place team among the 10 of the region will still have a chance to qualify through an international playoff.

Brazil vs. Colombia

Brazil could end this month securing its spot in the next World Cup or lagging in seventh place. That means pressure on coach Júnior.

Neymar’s absence led Junior to try out Savinho up front alongside Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, with Raphinha behind them in Tuesday’s training session. Brazil’s coach hinted that would be the most likely lineup against Colombia on Thursday at the Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia.

But then local media reported another formation was tested Wednesday, with Joao Pedro as a target man up front and Vinicius Junior as his pairing. Raphinha and Rodrygo trained right behind them to close gaps in the midfield.

If neither of those settings work, coach Junior will still be able to move Raphinha up front on the wing or try out teenager Estevao, one of Brazil’s biggest prospects, in the same position. Then Rodrygo could play center forward, as in other occasions.

“I am trying to keep players in the position they play at the clubs since the start, and I make changes according what rivals bring,” Junior said Wednesday during a press conference in which he did not reveal his starting lineup.

Several Brazil players will miss the match against Argentina if they are booked against Colombia: defenders Danilo and Gabriel Magalhães; midfielders Andre, Bruno Guimarees; and strikers Matheus Cunha, Raphinha and Rodrygo.

Brazil drew against Venezuela and Uruguay in its two latest World Cup qualifying matches, with coach Júnior arguing he was “starting a recovery process” by testing several players in different positions.

Uruguay vs. Argentina

With Messi out due to a muscle injury, Scaloni hoped he could field a powerful duo up front in Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo. But on Wednesday he also lost Martínez — the Inter Milan striker — to a muscle fatigue problem.

A win would make Argentina the first South American team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Alvarez has scored 23 goals for Atletico Madrid this season. But instead of an aggressive pairing with Martínez, he is more likely to have midfielder Thiago Almada in Messi’s role and be all alone up front.

Messi injured his left thigh adductor muscle in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over Atlanta United on Sunday in the MLS.

Argentine players might want to be cautious in Montevideo to avoid risking suspension for the match against Brazil. Defender Nicolás Otamendi and midfielders Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández, Rodrigo de Paul, and Alexis Mac Allister could miss the clash if they get a yellow against Uruguay.

Argentina will play a friendly on Saturday against a local U-20 team at Huracan Stadium in Buenos Aires in a fundraiser for the reconstruction of a hospital damaged by a storm that killed 16 people in the region of Bahía Blanca two weeks ago.

“We needed to do something within the international window,” Scaloni said.