India midfielder Brandon Fernandes underwent a scan after he felt discomfort in his right knee in Bhubaneswar, where the Indian football team kicked off their preparatory camp for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers fixtures against Kuwait and Qatar in June.
Brandon was among the 19 players in the first batch who kicked off the preparatory camp in the Odisha capital. However, the midfielder did not take part in the first training session On Saturday. RevSportz broke the news that Brandon was feeling knee pain and had undergone a rehab session on the first day of the preparatory camp.
A source close to RevSportz confirmed that Brandon has an injury on the back of his knee, which saw him undergo a scan to determine the extent of the injury. According to the source, the FC Goa midfielder sustained the injury during the second leg of the ISL semifinal against Mumbai City FC.
The Indian team has already suffered many injury blows, with nine players opting out of the camp due to injuries and personal reasons. Two reliable midfielders, Deepak Tangri and Apuia, are also on the list, further limiting midfield options for head coach Igor Stimac. If Brandon doesn’t recover on time, it will be a major blow for the Blue Tigers ahead of their must-win game against Kuwait on June 6 at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
The probables underwent fitness tests at the Abhinav Bindra Sports Science Centre in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, as the Indian football team’s social media handle posted a few pictures of the players and coaching staff.
The second batch of players, which comprises footballers from Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan SG, except Sunil Chhetri, will join the camp on May 15.