The Indian team will have a tough task at hand against Singapore as many of their players might already have appeared in the Singapore Premier League ahead of the AFC Qualifiers.
India will have the towering presence of ace defender Sandesh Jhingan during their AFC Asian Qualifiers against Singapore next month, coach Khalid Jamil said in Bengaluru on Friday.
Jhingan has been recuperating from a cheekbone surgery due to an injury sustained during the recent CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan, where India finished a creditable third.
India will face Singapore in an away tie on October 9 at the National Stadium in Kallang, and in the return match, they will host the Asian neighbours at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.
"Yes, he (Jhingan) will be available for those games," Jamil said during a press meet organised by the All India Football Federation.
Jamil expressed full faith in his team to perform in crunch matches, keeping the pressure away.
"They have performed in the Asian Cup qualifiers. I believe in them. And the character they showed, I am sure they will definitely do very well against Singapore," he said.
"So, the pressure will definitely be there on us. Without pressure I cannot work. So, talking about Sandesh, yes, he will be available for our next game," he added.
The Indian team will have a tough task at hand against Singapore as many of their players might already have appeared in the Singapore Premier League ahead of the AFC Qualifiers.
But Jamil refused to read too much into that, and said his players will be well-prepared for the assignment through the preparation camp starting here from Saturday.
"Yes, it is a difficult game. But we have to prepare very well and just give our best to get a positive result. We have to be prepared for all situations," he said.
Jamil placed his faith in the preparatory camp here to keep his wards ready for the two matches.
"Depending on the player, and availability of the player, we will see how to prepare them. We are starting (the camp) tomorrow. But we have to see because less players are attending tomorrow. So, we will discuss and see," he noted.
Jamil was quite delighted to see his side winning the bronze medal in the CAFA Nations Cup, but wanted to achieve bigger things with the team in future.
"We have only one plan. We're thinking about the first game (against Singapore), which is important. We are thinking about that game.
"Unity should be there between the players. That has been good so far and we also have given a chance to the new players. That is important," he said.
Jamil also justified the recall of talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri, which according to him was no reflection of the regard he has for younger forwards.
"Yeah, it is about giving chances to those who are doing well. Talking about Sunil, he has done well last year. So, I think this is the correct time to give him a chance again. And talking about footballers from under-23, yes, if they are good, definitely we will choose them," he added.
Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had effected a stunning penalty save in India's 2-1 win over Tajikistan in the CAFA Nations Cup, and Jamil was chuffed to see his experiment with the veteran custodian fetching the expected results.
"I believe in him. He is a good player and we need his experience. I have seen his performance for a long time. So, it is my pleasure to be his coach," he said.
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