Nekounam was expected to be in action against the African minnows but he was omitted from the Carlos Queiroz lineup.
“Carlos Queiroz (Iran football coach) wanted to field the players who are expected to play against the Maldives in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers on July 23 and 28,” Nekounam said.
“I'm well-prepared because I've been working with Iran football team in my country,” Nekounam told Noticias de Navarra newspaper.
Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei joined Osasuna on Monday. Nekounam took part in the team’s training session while Shojaei went to San Miguel Clinic to undergo an MRI to check the status of his injured left foot. The Iranian international midfielder fractured fifth metatarsal of the foot on April 3.