Know Which Five Players Have Been Ommitted From Manolo Marquez 26-man Probable Squad for Vietnam Tri-Nation Series

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Manolo Marquez, head coach of the Indian national football team, has announced his 26-man probable squad for the upcoming Tri-Nation series in Vietnam. The squad sees a mix of retained players, surprise omissions, and new inclusions

With the new coach fine-tuning his team to turn his fate around in this crucial friendly series, this was expected. Among the key changes, five players from the previous squad for the Intercontinental Cup in June have missed the cut this time.

Jay Gupta

Gupta is one of the notable omissions. He played almost the entire match against Mauritius but was benched for the following game against Syria. His performance in that first match was unconvincing as he wasted several chances.

It appears that that may have influenced the coach's decision to exclude him from the Vietnam series. Despite being given an opportunity, his limited impact seems to have cost him a spot in the latest squad.

Mohammad Yasir

The midfielder is another significant name missing from the team. Yasir suffered an injury ahead of the Blue Tigers' first match against Mauritius, ruling him out of the entire series. Although he has since recovered, it appears that Marquez has opted for other midfield options, leaving Yasir out of the squad for this series.

Sahal Abdul Samad

One of the most unexpected absences is Sahal Abdul Samad. The talented midfielder recently sustained an injury during Mohun Bagan's match against Bengaluru FC. While reports indicate that the injury is not severe, it is likely to keep him sidelined for some time. His recovery period has led to his omission from the squad.

Puitea and Kiyan Nassiri

Midfielder Lalthathanga Khawlhring, popularly known as Puitea, also finds himself excluded from the squad. Like Kiyan Nassiri Giri, Puitea was also called up for the Intercontinental Cup for the first time. However, none of them feature in any matches.

They may not have been able to convince the coach to give them playing time which may have factored into Marquez's decision to leave them out of the Vietnam tour. These exclusions highlight Marquez's focus on selecting players who are in form, fit, and ready to make an impact as India looks to build momentum ahead of the Vietnam series.