Exactly a month from now, the Indian national football team will play the Asian Cup in Doha. Pitted against teams like Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria, it will be one of their toughest assignments in a while. In fact, India hasn’t played a slew of higher-ranked teams like these in years, and this will be a big test for Sunil Chhetri and his teammates. And soon after the Asian Cup, focus will shift to the next set of World Cup qualifiers in March 2024. India have never made the third round of World Cup qualifiers and it would be a historic first if that happened this time round. While India started well with a win against Kuwait, things aren’t looking good for the team at the moment with the list of injuries continuing to grow. There are now big question marks over how many of India’s first-choice players will even be fit for Doha.
While Anwar Ali, Ashique Kuruniyan and Jeakson Singh were already out with injuries, some other key first XI players have now been added to the list. Sahal Abdul Samad, considered one of the most talented at the moment, is now nursing a grade 1 left-ankle sprain, which he suffered in the match against Odisha FC while turning out for Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG). It will take some time before Samad is back on the pitch and with the Asian Cup closing in, the injury is enough to give the Indian management a bad headache.
Others who are also on the injury list are Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Glan Martins and Anirudh Thapa. Of all the players, Thapa’s is a minor injury and he should be back playing for MBSG a week from now. “He is not out for a long time and is certainly on the mend,” said a source associated with the club. Thapa, who has a right-elbow oedema, has been advised four to five days of modified rest.
Manvir, the scorer of the all-important goal against Kuwait, is also on the road to recovery. He is suffering from a left-quadriceps rectus femoris problem but, from what we know, should be ready for club and national duty fairly soon. He has been in very good form recently and Igor Stimac, the coach currently in Croatia and making plans to reunite with the national team on December 29 in Dubai, would desperately want Manvir back in the mix. He should start for MBSG a week from now and that should ease Stimac’s worries a little.
Rahim Ali, who has impressed many in the last 12 months, is also on the injury list. The burly player who has shown a lot of heart and pluck, is recovering from a left-hamstring strain semitendinosus and will need at least three weeks to resume training. The time of his exact return is not known at the moment.
Finally, Glan Martins, who hasn’t really been injury-free for a year now, is currently awaiting scan reports for his knee injury.
In all fairness, it is not the best news for Indian football with just a month left for the Asian Cup. And with ISL engagements to continue till December 29, one can only pray that no other first-team star picks up an injury in the next few weeks. With the sport having generated reasonable momentum in recent times, a decent showing at the Asian Cup would give it a fillip ahead of the much awaited World Cup qualifiers in March. For that to happen, India will need to have the best out there on the pitch. Not having made it to the final hurdle of World Cup qualifiers, it could be a first in Indian football history if it happens in the coming year. Perhaps, that would be the perfect way for Chhetri to sign off as national team skipper.