Sandesh Jhingan, India’s talismanic centre-back, who has been sidelined since January following an injury sustained against Syria in the AFC Asian Cup, has begun his recovery process and was cautiously optimistic that he might be back in the fray before the crucial World Cup 2026 qualifier against Kuwait. Jhingan, who now plays for FC Goa, is set to miss the upcoming home-and-away qualifiers against Afghanistan.
Jhingan’s absence will undoubtedly be felt keenly. “If there’s one player who is hard to replace, it is Sandesh,” said Igor Stimac, India’s head coach, in a conversation with RevSportz. However, the Croatian tactician will breathe a sigh of relief at the possibility that his defensive rock might return for the final round of qualifying matches in June.
“I am good, I have started training now individually,” Jhingan told RevSportz. “Abhi team ke sath sirf warmup wagerai start kiya (I have only done warm-ups and such with the team, but not full-fledged training). But it will still take some time. I can’t really comment. Even I don’t know personally when I will be back in full form. It depends a lot on how my body behaves every day.”
India will face Kuwait at home on June 6 before traveling to Qatar for their final game in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers. The Blue Tigers are on the verge of making history, as they stand a chance of qualifying to the third round for the first time. With Qatar the clear favourites to finish as the group toppers, India will hope to seal the second place that would take them through to the next round.
Although India managed to defeat Kuwait 1-0 in the away fixture, the Arab side will come prepared when they travel to India. If the 30-year-old Jhingan returns, it would be a significant boost for the team. Jhingan, a warrior on and off the pitch, is also eager to return to be back in the fray. “Lage hue hai mehnat ka piche baki jab uparwala fal dega [I’ll put in the effort and the Almighty will give the fruits of that],” said Jhingan, whose career has been typified by his unrelenting work ethic.
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