The assistant coach said the Tunisian midfielder made up his mind before the current season kicked-off.

"I met up with Boujelbene when the pre-season preparation camp was underway, and he told me he had received offers from Tunisian clubs," Al-Badri told Ahli T.V.

"I talked him into staying till after the CAF Champions League in return for a salary raise.

"We thought it would be better to depend on settled players in the Club World Cup in order to increase their confidence."

Earlier, the 30-year-old player protested against his exclusion from the squad of the Premier Competition, as nobody informed him.

But the assistant coach asserted that it wasn't the Red Devils' fault.

"The date of the roster announcement was long determined. When it came, Boujelbene had to travel to Tunisia for personal issues," he explained.

"We hadn't to postpone the announcement of the squad till his arrival."