India [ Images ] football captain Sunil Chhetri has taken a break from his foreign stint with Sporting Lisbon [ Images ] and joined I-League club Churchill on loan for four months.
The club wanted to have Chettri last year itself but he had already committed himself to Sporting Lisbon's B team in the second division Portuguese league.
The Goans, who were looking for a defender after the departure of Bilal Najjraine, also strengthened its back-line ahead of the AFC Cup, signing former Air-India player Lamine Tamba.
"These signings will certainly strengthen our defence as well as our attack as they prepare for the final stretch of matches in the I-League and the AFC Cup group stages," said a Churchill Brothers official.
Since the departure of Lebanese defender Najjarine to the United Arab Emirates [ Images ], Churchill have collected just two points, which saw them slip to the second place behind East Bengal, who have played two matches more.
Tamba's joining will certainly be a big boost as the team prepares to play in the AFC Cup this month.
Chettri signed a two-year contract in July last year, which would keep him with the Lisbon club till June 2014.
A former Kansas City player, Chhetri struggled to break into the playing XI in Portugal, spending most of the time warming the bench.
Photograph: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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