TEHRAN – Iran Coach Amir Ghalenoei said getting the squad physically ready for the tournament would be difficult after most domestic-based players went seven weeks without competitive football during the suspension of the Iranian league.

The World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran are due to play all three group-stage matches in the United States but would require access to Canada if they progress to the knockout rounds.

"Naturally, I am not fully satisfied with the players' level of readiness," Ghalenoei told the FFIRI magazine before the team's departure for Turkey.

"But with a training camp that is approximately two and a half to three weeks long, we can make up about 20 to 25% of this shortfall."

Iran will play Gambia in a friendly on May 29 before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA's June 1 deadline.

The FFIRI also hope to schedule another friendly in Turkey and plan a behind-closed-doors match against Puerto Rico at their U.S. base in Arizona, provided they are able to enter the country without issues.

Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, first vice president of the Iranian football federation (FFIRI), said the federation was confident security arrangements for the tournament would be handled appropriately.

"There are security committees working with FIFA inside the United States, and responsibility for security lies with those committees," he said.