National team striker and talisman Sunil Chhetri may be in doubt for India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Kyrgyz Republic as well as an international friendly against Lebanon scheduled to take place next month, reported PTI.
In a letter sent to the All India Football Federation complaining about the cramped scheduling of the ongoing Federation Cup in Cuttack, Bengaluru FC CEO Parth Jindal has blamed the fixture for Chhetri’s injury.
“In making the semifinals of the tournament, Bengaluru FC will be playing their fourth game in six days – a schedule that is detrimental to players’ health to say the least. The cramped and unheard of fixture list has claimed its first victim in club and national team captain Sunil Chhetri who is certain to miss the rest of the season for us and is also in doubt for the national team for the important games in the coming month,” Jindal said in the letter.
On Friday, Chhetri limped out of Bengaluru FC’s last group match against Mohun Bagan with a suspected muscle tear.
He has undergone a scan to determine just how bad his injury could be. Jindal also criticised the AIFF for choosing Cuttack as the venue for the Federation Cup.
“I am concerned at the thought process behind choosing Cuttack as the venue for the Federation Cup. The 4pm kick-offs have seen teams take to the pitch in temperatures as high as 42 degrees. These conditions are in no way ideal to play quality football and the whole purpose of advertising Indian football is defeated,” he said.
He also ask the AIFF to postpone the final match to a later date – May 24 – as Bengaluru have qualified for the final to be played against Bagan.
The ‘Blues’ will also make a trip to Kolkata to face Mohun Bagan in their AFC Cup Group E game midway through the Federation Cup on May 17.