With the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifiers approaching, the Indian football squad has begun preparing. Against Kuwait on June 6 at home, India will play their last games in the second round before traveling to Qatar on June 11.
There is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Blue Tigers to advance to the third round of qualifying. Though, as Khel Now has reported, Igor Stimac has encountered a number of obstacles leading up to these high-stakes games, including Akash Mishra’s ACL injury.
Eight additional players for the national team will be unavailable due to injury and personal reasons, according to a recent report obtained by Khel Now. The Blue Tigers’ preparations for the pivotal games are further hampered by this.
In advance of the next qualifiers against Kuwait and Qatar, nine players have been discharged from the Indian football team’s current training camp. Eight players are recovering from injuries, while one player has given personal excuses for missing work, a person familiar with the matter told Khel Now.
Players With Injuries
The following players have been allowed to leave the camp:
Rosham Singh Naorem – Injury
Mohammad Yasir – Injury
Vibin Mohanan – Injury
Rahul Kannoly Praveen – Injury
Isak Vanlalruratfela – Injury
Akash Mishra – Injury
Deepak Tangri – Injury
Lalrinzuala Hauhnar – Injury
Lalengmawia – Personal Reason (University Exam)
Effect on the Indian football team
The three regular starters for the national team—Laleng Mawia, Akash Mishra, and Deepak Tangri—are included in the aforementioned list. Furthermore, it won’t help that important players like Roshan Singh, Muhammad Yasir, and Rahul KP aren’t there.
Igor Stimac, the head coach of India, and his coaching team are really concerned about this since Kuwait and Qatar would not give India an easy time. Furthermore, India’s dismal run of form this year will only become worse if their squad isn’t totally healthy.
With three goals and seven assists in all competitions, Mohammad Yasir enjoyed another fantastic season in the Indian Premier League. In contrast, Vibin Mohanan made significant progress during his rookie year with the Kerala Blasters, contributing three assists and a goal to the Yellow Army’s victory.
Among Odisha FC’s finest players was Isak Vanlalruatfela. Throughout the season, he scored seven goals and provided four assists, demonstrating his explosiveness up front. Both Mohun Bagan and the national team now rely heavily on Deepak Tangri. Tangri was one of Bagan’s greatest midfield maestros because of his ability to win possession of the ball and maintain tight defense.
India’s prospects of even putting up a good fight in their remaining games, much less qualifying, are called into question by the lengthy injury list. It also has to be seen how the national squad manages to function without some key players.
