Injured Baichung Bhutia likely to be ruled out

India’s Asian Cup campaign received a big jolt after captain Bhaichung Bhutia was all but ruled out of the continental championship due to a long-prevailing injury.

Though Bhutia, 34, took part in a training session at the Al Wakrah Stadium in Doha on Friday, his participation in the tournament looks highly doubtful as he is yet to recover from the calf muscle injury, which has kept him away since September.

The team officials have said they will take a final call on Sunday but they are already looking into the rules if Bhutia can be registered as a ‘technical official’, in case he misses out.

AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said Bhutia is yet to be ruled out of the tournament and the team management is mulling on whether he could be registered as an official to boost the morale of the team, though, the rules are not clear.

“The team management will take a final call on Sunday. There can also be a situation that he misses the first game and can still be in a position to play the next two matches against Bahrain and South Korea. Bob (Houghton) will take the final call,” Das said.

“The question is whether the rules allow this or not. We are not certain on this as the rules are not clear. We are looking into it. But Bhutia is still in the squad as a player,” he said.

Bhutia, though, is still hopeful. “I am giving myself two or three more days. We can make changes to the squad till six hours before the kick-off,” he said, adding that missing the championship would be disastrous for him.

Last season’s I-League’s top scorer Mohammed Rafi will be drafted into the squad if Bhutia is ruled out and the team management has time till six hours prior to the first match against Australia on Monday, which kicks off at 7.30pm India time.