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Al Ain player in action during a friendly match as part of their preparations against an Austrian club. Image Credit: Supplied picture

Al Ain:  After a satisfactory overseas training camp in Austria the Al Ain football team will make their way back to UAE this evening.

The purple team are scheduled to continue their preparations for the UAE Football League (UFL) at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on Thursday, after a two-day break.

The team conducted 32 training sessions in Austria, in addition to playing five friendly matches.

Al Ain won their first match against Anif 3-0 but lost three matches against Furth 7-2, Concordia 3-1 and Parliminari 1-0.

They drew one match against Puch 1-1. In all Al Ain scored seven goals during these warm-up matches, including four goals by Argentine strike Jose Sand and one goal each by Faisal Ali, Juma Saeed and Sufian Al Loudi.

Al Ain conceded 12 goals in their five friendly matches.

The 30-year-old Sand, who holds a contract with them till June 30, 2011, impressed during the Austrian camp.

Meanwhile, in a surprise move Chilean professional player Jorge Valdivia returned to Brazil to rejoin Palmeiras on a five-year contract. Valdivia, 26, who was training with Al Ain in St John, Austria, had completed two years of a four-year contract with the nine-time UAE champions.

Second blow

The player gave unreasonable justifications for his departure.

It was a second blow for Al Ain who lost Brazilian striker Marcio Emerson in June.

The 31-year-old joined Fluminense, after signing a 30-month contract.

Mohammad Fayez, Fares Jumaa and Esmael Ahmad, who are carrying injuries, also left Al Ain camp but are expected to participate at the friendly tournament in Ramadan.

Other injured players include Abdullah Mal Allah who needs 45 days to recover from injury while Salem Abdullah will be out for two months.

Waleed Salem and Sultan Mosabah are expected to join their teammates in two and a half months.

Al Ain also lost the services of Moroccan player Sufian Al Loudi who received a call to join the national team as a reserve.

The player was scheduled to fly to Morocco yesterday to participate in an international friendly match scheduled for Wednesday.