India train, but Baichung injury remains main topic

The Indian national football team trained for the second day at the Al Wakrah Stadium just outside of Doha. And the over-shadowing issue remains will Baichung Bhutia be in the squad or not. And this indecision is likely to continue until that final decision is taken, latest 6 hours before the opening game, which means 10.15 local time on Monday morning here in Doha.

Otherwise Team India looked once more very focused and the boys know that a tough task is ahead of them. At a press conference after the training coach Bob Houghton said that the injury problems have robbed him off alternatives, but this squad of 23 players was the best available to him as he has to chose from a small pool of only 90 players who play in the I-League. And he once more said that too many foreigners play in India. Bob added that he knows there will be different opinions on players selection, but in the end he had to take the call as coach.

Bob has told his boys to give their best and stay focused, but also enjoy the experience in playing against sides who have players whom they normally see on television. But the team shouldn't just give in and put up a fight.

About the issue of Baichung's selection Bob said the team management together with Baichung would take a final decision likely by tomorrow evening, but it could be delayed until Monday morning with Mohammed Rafi on stand-by which he said isn't fair to Rafi but he was prepared for both options as he is training with the team.

Sunil Chhetri also speaking to the media said that the team was looking forward to the challenges ahead of them and he had a good feeling. The team wasn't going into the tournament scared about the results, but rather would give it all against their three opponents.

Chhetri also said that the team would miss Baichung Bhutia if he did not play at all, but added that Sushil Singh had done in training and hopefully would show that in the Asian Cup.

Looking at the training and those wearing the bibs of the first eleven it looks like that Bob will start with the following eleven: Subrata Pal; Irungbam Surkumar Singh, Moirangthem Gouramangi Singh, Anwar, Deepak Kumar Mondal; Steven Benedic Dias, Climax Lawrence, N.P. Pradeep, Syed Rahim Nabi; Sunil Chhetri, Sushil Kumar Singh.