Injured Sunil Chhetri to miss Jordan clash

 India’s friendly against Jordan will be one of the last games they play before turning up at the Asian Cup in January. But their most important player will be missing on Saturday. 
India forward Sunil Chhetri (Photo: File / PTI)
India forward Sunil Chhetri (Photo: File / PTI)

CHENNAI: India’s friendly against Jordan will be one of the last games they play before turning up at the Asian Cup in January. But their most important player will be missing on Saturday. 

Sunil Chhetri will miss India’s first ever friendly against Jordan in Amman due to an ankle injury he sustained during Bengaluru FC’s Indian Super League game against Kerala Blasters on November 5.

“Sunil Chhetri has been ruled out of India’s forthcoming international friendly against Jordan following an ankle injury sustained during JSW Bengaluru’s Hero ISL match against Kerala Blasters on November 5, 2018,” the All India Football Federation said in a statement. Chhetri had played all ninety minutes of the match and had even opened the scoring in the game that Bengaluru eventually won 2-1. But he underwent an MRI scan after the game as he looked in some discomfort.

The national team’s physio Gigy George revealed that Chhetri could miss up to two weeks of football. “The BFC Medical Team have shared the MRI reports and medical assessments and we have scrutinised them thoroughly. Sunil needs rest of around two weeks and proper rehabilitation after which he can get back to training,” he said. While he will miss out on international commitments, it is unlikely that his club will miss Chhetri for more than a game. Bengaluru close out the month with a hectic run of three games in eight days and the first of those comes against FC Goa on November 22. “He is touch and go for the Goa match,” said a Bengaluru official. “But it is unlikely he will miss anything beyond that, unless the injury worsens. He needed two weeks rest, but that period started after the Kerala game last week. So we hope to have him back in training before the Goa game.”

The match against Jordan is set to be played at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman on Saturday and the team will fly out on Thursday.

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