Bangladesh national team captain Mamunul Islam is a major injury doubt for the opening game of the 10th SAFF Football Championship against hosts Nepal on Saturday.
After a light training session at the Police Headquarters Ground in Kathmandu on Thursday, midfielder Mamunul informed reporters that he might be unavailable in the first game due to a knee injury.
‘It was all but confirmed that I will not be eligible for the first match against Nepal. I like to give my full effort in the field but I’m still feeling pain in my knee so I will not take any risk,’ said Mamunul.
Another injury concern, midfielder Sohel Rana is, however, fit for the opening game after recuperating from an ankle injury which he picked up in the last practice match for the national side before leaving Dhaka.
A source close to the national team updated that midfielder Mithun Chowdhury will replace the skipper in the playing XI in the first match.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh head coach Lodewijk de Kruif finally announced his 20-member squad for the regional football fiesta without a place for Monayem Khan Raju.
Raju was a last-minute addition to the squad, as cover for Mamunul and Sohel. Raju was not selected in the original 30-member preliminary list which was declared by the Bangladesh Football Federation on August 20.
Despite several requests, SAFF officials refused the BFF’s proposal to include Raju in the team.
While talking to reporters on Thursday, the Dutch coach expressed his disappointment with the spate of injuries crippling his squad.
‘It was unfortunate but I have to cope with the situation. The injury problems have hampered our planning quite often but I have to look forward with what I have’ said De Kruif.
The 43-year old Dutchman was satisfied with the improvement of his goalkeepers, who initially failed to impress the coach before the arrival of Dutch goalkeeping coach Cornelius Kees Kalk.
‘Kees [Kalk] has been doing a great job and the keepers have responded well. I am slowly integrating all the departments ahead of the first match,’ said De Kruif.

Squad
Goalkeepers
Mamun Khan, Biplob Bhattacharya, Ziaur Rahman Zia.
Defenders
Waly Faisal, Ariful Islam, Nasiruddin Chowdhury, Md. Linkon, Raihan Hasan.
Midfielders
Mamunul Islam, Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan, Jamal Bhuiyan, Omar Faruk Babu, Sohel Rana, Atikur Rahman Meshu, Zahid Hossain, Mithun Chowdhury.
Forwards
Toklis Ahmed, Zahid Hasan Ameli, Shakhawat Hossain Rony, Wahed Ahmed.