[ad_1]
Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan will not feature in the starting line-up for the AFC Championship semi-final against Lebanon at the Sri Kantirava Stadium on Saturday 1 July.
The veteran defender was shown a yellow card for an early tackle in the final group stage match against Kuwait. Being his second booking for the tournament, Jhingan was suspended for the semi-final match.
He previously picked up a yellow card in the opening match of the AFC competition against Pakistan, in which India scored four goals against arch-rivals.
The 29-year-old’s absence from the Blue Tigers’ backline, given that he has been a mainstay in this centre-back position. Head coach Igor Štimak preferred to play Jahangan and Anwar Ali as his first choice.
The hosts have some capable replacements for Chandigarh-born Rahul Beg and Mehtab Singh, both of whom started against Nepal. But the composure and solidity of Jhingan will surely be a miss for India.
Meanwhile, national team captain Sunil Chhetri said at the press conference, acknowledging the huge blow it would be for India not to have Jinghan in the starting line-up:
“Personally, I always want to play with Jinghan, whether in the national team, the club or the training ground. The first reason for that is that he doesn’t like to lose. I hope, after the match, I can tell you that we didn’t miss him because whoever comes in his place will do him justice and do his best, And I really know that.”
India is worried about Lebanon’s improved resistance
This is the third time that India has drawn against Lebanon in a few weeks. In the recently concluded Intercontinental Cup tournament, the Blue Tigers drew 0-0 in the group stage before edging them 2-0 in the final.
However, after facing each other on multiple occasions in such short periods, both teams would be wary of their strengths. The India captain stressed the same during the pre-match press conference:
“We know a lot about Lebanon because we’ve played them twice already. I’m sure they feel the same about us. They also want to take back a piece of us because of what happened in the last two games.”
The Rice have been on an impressive run to the top of Group B, emerging victorious in all three of their encounters. They beat Bangladesh 2-0, Bhutan 4-1, and Maldives 1-0 to become the only team with a perfect record in this year’s tournament.
Also read | 3 players can replace the suspended Sandesh Jhingan in the SAFF Indian Championship semi-final against Lebanon
[ad_2]
