AFC Asian Cup Qualification: Chhetri Among 14 Set To Join India Camp Late Ahead Of Singapore Clash

Fourteen players, including Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, are not immediately joining the preparatory camp for next month's Asian Cup qualifying round matches against Singapore as three clubs have delayed the release of their players, which will be a cause of concern for head coach Khalid Jamil.

According to sources, all the seven Bengaluru FC players, three from East Bengal and four from Punjab FC been named in the original list of 30 probables, will join the national camp, beginning in Bengaluru on Saturday, only towards the end of this month.

India will face Singapore in an away match on October 9 and play against the same opponents on October 14 in Goa. If the 14 players join the camp towards the end of this month, they will have training time of barely a week.

"Seven players from BFC, four from East Bengal and three from Punjab FC are not joining the camp immediately. The three clubs said they will release their players only towards the end of September," a source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

Under the rules, the clubs are, however, not obligated to release the players early as the FIFA international match window falls from October 6 to 14, though Jamil would have wanted to train the players together for a longer time.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday added two more players to the probables, taking the total number to 32. But the AIFF has said that players from Mohun Bagan SG and FC Goa, who have been shortlisted in the probables, will be called up later, after their AFC Champions League Two engagements are over.

Mohun Bagan SC have a match on September 30 while FC Goa play on September 1.

During a press conference in Bengaluru on Friday, Jamil had admitted that less number of players will be there at the start of the camp.

"Depending on the player, and availability of the player, we will see how to prepare them. We are starting (the camp) tomorrow. But we have to see because less players are attending tomorrow. So, we will discuss and see," he had noted.

He did also say that key defender Sandesh Jhingan, who underwent a surgery recently after suffering a cheekbone fracture during India's match against Iran in the CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan, will be available for the Singapore games.

Jhingan was not included in the list of 30 probables, and he could be named among the three senior in standbys.

Five players have been kept on standby -- two from the U23 men's national team and three senior players. Their names will be announced at a later date.

India Drops One Place To 134 In FIFA rankings

Meanwhile, the Indian men's team dropped one place to 134th in the latest FIFA rankings issued on Thursday, despite finishing third in the CAFA Nations Cup.

The win against higher-ranked Oman in the third-place play-off did not count for much as it was a draw at the end of regulation and extra time, and India won on penalties. The result against Oman was considered a draw for the purposes of ranking calculation.

India beat hosts Tajikistan, lost to Iran and drawn against Afghanistan in the group stage matches of the eight-nation tournament.