Bahrain manager Hassan Khalfan said the 27-year-old striker, who recovered from a ligament injury, will be fit for Wednesday’s match which takes place at the National Stadium in Riffa with 7.30pm kick off time.

Khalfan said the team had all the chosen players trained together for the first time yesterday at the Bahrain Football Association grounds, including Switzerland-based midfielder Abdulla Fatai who returned from a one-match suspension.

A former Al Najma Club and national team captain, Khalfan said Kuwait Club defender Abdulla Al Marzooqi was also back in training after he was given rest for a flue since the team’s return from Sydney.

Others who made debut in the team’s training were Kuwait-based players - defender Mohammed Hubail, striker Ismail Abdullatif (Al Arabi Club) and midfielder Mahmood Abdulrahman (Al Qadsia).

Bahrain’s recent practice was witnessed by Bahrain Football Association vice-president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and other board members.

Shaikh Ali met earlier with Macala, Khalfan and team supervisor Abdulrazzaq Mohammed before the practice. They reviewed special technical issues for Uzbekistan’s match.

Meanwhile, the 30-member Bahrain team will enter a closed camp at the Gulf Hotel from today right after their training session.

The Uzbeks are scheduled to arrive on the island tomorrow, just 24 hours before the match with a 23-player delegation. Leading the Uzbeks hopes is danger man and last year’s Asian Player of the Year Server Djeparov.

The visiting team will have their only training session on the same day at the match venue under their national coach Mirdjalal Kasimov.

The Asian Football Confederation has named Iranian referee Masaud Muradi to officiate Wednesday’s match. Muradi and the remaining referees team are due to arrive today.

Bahrain, who came back from Sydney last Thursday after losing their penultimate Group ’A’ to Australia 0-2, are battling for third place in this five-team group.

The Bahrainis hold third place with seven points from seven matches, 10 behind leaders Australia and eight below runners-up Japan who were both ensured berths in the South African World Cup.

Macala’s side are one point ahead of fourth Qatar, who already played all their eight games and are out of contention, and three clear of bottom Uzbekistan.

A draw for Bahrain will ensure them a third-place finish while the Uzbeks must win the match by any score to leap frog Bahrain. The third-placed team in this group face the third of Group ’B’ in a final home-and-away Asian playoff to be played on September 5 and 9.

The winners then move on to face Oceania winners New Zealand in a last playoff home-and-away match-up for a berth in the Fifa World Cup.