‘Sunil will surely play’

The returning Sunil Chhetri will be the cynosure of all eyes as India face Maldives in an international friendly here on Wednesday, the match serving as a dress rehearsal for the all-important AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh at the same venue in less than a week’s time.

The 40-year-old Chhetri came out of his international retirement earlier this month to help the team successfully navigate the qualifiers for the continent’s top football tournament, starting with the March 25 clash.

The preparatory match for Manolo Marquez’s side marks a historic moment as the Blue Tigers will play in the football-crazy hill town for the first time. It will also be India’s all-time top scorer Chhetri’s first match since announcing his return to international football.

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Manolo Marquez

In the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Marquez said, “It’s a friendly game to prepare for the Asian Cup qualifier. Obviously, we want to win. We knew that the target during the previous FIFA windows was to arrive in the best possible condition for the first competitive match against Bangladesh next Tuesday. “I don’t think we will play with the same team against Bangladesh that will play tomorrow. Obviously, you can’t change all 11. Some will repeat on Tuesday. I’m confident in all my players. It has to be a good game and a good preparation for Bangladesh.”

Marquez also confirmed Chhetri’s involvement in the friendly match that will mark his 152nd cap for India. “For sure, Sunil will play some minutes. I don’t know whether as a starter or from the bench. We can use six substitutions, so 17 players can play, and I think Sunil will be one of them.

“He is the Indian player with the most goals this season. It doesn’t matter if a player is 20, 40, or my grandfather at 87. If they are in better shape, they will be here. The national team is not about developing players.

“Developed players have to arrive here. The main team needs to win games. And if we need to win games, we need to call players who are in better shape,” said Marquez.

Chhetri had earlier hung his boots in June 2024 after a glorious international career after making his India debut in 2005.

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