"I don't think he will be back before March" - India head coach Igor Stimac on Anwar Ali's injury
On Tuesday (December 12), India coach Igor Stimac announced 50 probables for the Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in January. One of the biggest absentees from this list was centre-back Anwar Ali, who has been ruled out with an injury to his ankle.
The Mohun Bagan Super Giant player sustained it during his side's AFC Cup match against Basundhara Kings on October 24. He has been out of action ever since.
Fellow Mohun Bagan player Ashique Kuruniyan, who sustained an ACL injury, has been ruled out for the entire season. Stimac was hoping for Anwar to come back in time for the Asian Cup but has now confirmed to The Times of India that he will be unavailable.
"Anwar is out, absolutely, and I don't think he will be back before March. We have other injuries, like Ashique is out for the season, and there are six to eight others who we are monitoring (sic)," said Stimac.
Central midfielder Jeakson Singh, who is another prominent member of the team, is nursing a shoulder injury he picked up for the Kerala Blasters in an ISL clash against Mumbai City on October 8.
"There is still a small possibility of Jeakson coming back on time but a lot will depend on the progress he makes during training and when he starts playing (competitively for Kerala Blasters). We will wait for Jeakson," Stimac added.
There are several players nursing minor injuries
Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Anirudh Thapa, Glan Martins, Rahim Ali, Manvir Singh, Rowlin Borges, Ritwik Das and Pronay Halder are among those who are injured at the moment. However, none of these players' injuries are considered serious enough for them to be missing the continental competition.
India kick off their tournament against Australia on January 13 before taking on Uzbekistan on January 18. The third group-stage game for the Blue Tigers will come against Syria on January 23.
The side will start their preparatory camp in Doha on December 30, a day after the first leg of the ISL ends. Stimac will be hoping for a good showing from his side given the wealth of talent that he has at his disposal.
However, Anwar's absence will deal a huge blow to the country's chances, with Mumbai City's Mehtab Singh, East Bengal's Lalchungnunga or Hyderabad FC's Chinglensana Singh expected to fill in for him alongside Sandesh Jhingan.