AFC Asian Cup 2024: India Suffer Another Blow Before Australia Match, Key Player Unlikely To Play Due To Injury - Report

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India have suffered another hefty blow before their first match of AFC Asian Cup 2024 as it has been reported that attacking midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad is yet to recover from his ankle injury sustained during an ISL match in December.

Sahal Abdul Samad was injured while featuring for his side Mohun Bagan in a 2-2 draw against Odisha FC at the Salt Lake Stadium, where a poor tackle by Ahmed Jahouh led to a grade-1 ankle sprain.

While the Indian fans fear the worst, Sahal did return to the MBSG bench for their latest ISL game against Kerala before the international break but played no role in it Injuries to defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh and centre-back Anwar Ali have already weakened the squad's strength significantly.

However, Sahal Abdul Samad's return was seen as a big positive as the attacking midfielder has been playing his best football over the last one year and is seen as someone, who can unlock defense with his individual brilliance.

However, Revsportz reported that Sahal Abdul Samad's inclusion in the team was merely done to monitor his recovery over the next month ahead of World Cup qualifier matches against Afghanistan home and away.

Head coach Igor Stimac has prioritised the World Cup qualifiers ahead of AFC Asian Cup 2024 and preferably won't risk Sahal Abdul Samad in Qatar. Versatile forward KP Rahul is seen as the makeshift option to play behind Sunil Chhetri in a second striker role instead, the website further reported.

India are realistically aiming for a second spot in Group A behind reigning Asian Champions Qatar and need to beat the likes of Kuwait and Afghanistan to the spot for a direct qualification to the third round. India have never made it to the third round of World Cup qualifiers before.

The Indian management is also considering a left-flank defensive pairing of Akash Mishra and Subhasish Bose with the latter playing as the left-back. Liston Colaco and Noarem Mahesh Singh are considered instead of Akash Mishra in the winger role as well.

As far as India's campaign in the AFC Asian Cup 2024 is concerned, the Blue Tigers will face Australia on January 13, followed by Uzbekistan (January 18) and Syria (January 23).