Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said that the Atlas Lions were not yet certain on whether first choice centreback Nayef Aguerd will be available to contest the FIFA World Cup, and could replace him if his condition does not improve.
Marseille's Aguerd has not played since March 4 due to ongoing groin problems, which required him to have surgery in March. His recovered stalled in April when Marseille's medical team discovered that he had a fracture of his pubic bone and an accompanying minor bone inflammation.
He played no part in Morocco's friendly victories over Burundi and Madagascar, with the North Africans now having only one more friendly lined up - against Norway on Sunday - before their tournament opener against Brazil in New Jersey on June 13.
"Regarding Nayef Aguerd, he's following the protocol that we've put in place," Ouahbi said following the 4-0 victory over Madagascar.
"He wasn't ready to play this match, but maybe he'll be ready to play the next one.
"We still have time to make a decision, and we'll continue to follow the protocol, but we also have [Marwane] Saadane, who's here.
"Whatever happens, we're good on this point of view. We're taking no risks, and we will not take any risks."
The 48 World Cup teams had until Monday June 1 to name their final 26-man squads, with FIFA then publishing the official lists on Tuesday.
However, teams can still change their squad lists should a player fall ill or sustain a serious illness; players can be replaced up until 24 hours before kickoff of the team's first tournament game.
This means that Morocco have until 18h UTC-4 on June 12 to decide whether Aguerd will be able to recover in time to feature at the tournament.
"When we will make the decision, we won't take any risks," Ouahbi concluded, "and I'll make the decision with a cool head, as I have always done. So there you go."
Al-Fateh defender Saadane is currently with the team, despite not having been named in the 26-man squad, with Ouahbi confirming that he's being retained in camp as a deputy for Aguerd should the former West Ham United man fail to recover in time.
Beyond Aguerd, Ouahbi can call upon new recruit Issa Diop, Chadi Riad and Redouane Halhal as centreback options, although they lack experience at international level, with none having been called up for the recent Africa Cup of Nations, and neither Diop nor Halhal making their debuts until March.
Aguerd, by contrast, has over 60 caps for the national side and is a veteran of the 2022 World Cup semifinalists.
Both of his previous centreback partners, Romain Saïss and Jawad El Yamiq, have been overlooked by Ouahbi, with the former having announced his retirement from international football, while Adam Masina - who covered in the centre during the AFCON - has not been selected after failing to find a new club since leaving Torino in February.
After their opener against Brazil, Morocco continue their Group C campaign against Scotland in Foxborough on June 19, before meeting Haiti in Atlanta five days later.
