Injuries leave midfield thin ahead of Singapore tie

Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera is dealing with a growing list of concerns ahead of Tuesday’s final AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Singapore.

The Spaniard is already without key players, as veteran centre-back Topu Barman and forward Rakib Hossain remain in Dhaka due to suspensions. Midfielder Sohel Rana Jr was also left out due to poor form, leaving the team particularly short in midfield.

Injuries have further compounded the problem. Following the 3-0 defeat to Vietnam, Bangladesh held their second training session in Singapore on Sunday, but defensive midfielder Mohammad Ridoy did not take part, while attacking midfielder Shah Quazem Kirmanee only trained lightly. Forward Arman Faysal Akash also picked up an injury during the session.

Ridoy and Quazem both missed the Vietnam match and are now almost certain to be unavailable against Singapore.

Canada-based midfielder Shamit Shome, who played the full 90 minutes against Vietnam, acknowledged the challenges after training.

“We are obviously missing Ridoy, Quazem, and the ones that didn’t come – Rakib and Topu,” said Shome. “There may be times when Hamza or I cannot play, so it’s about the next man stepping up and contributing.”

Despite the setbacks, there are some positives for Bangladesh. Attacking midfielder Sheikh Morsalin has returned to full fitness after playing only 45 minutes against Vietnam.

The team is also drawing encouragement from strong support in Singapore, where a large Bangladeshi expatriate community has attended training sessions.

“Everyone was a bit down after the Vietnam defeat, but we are improving and now fully focused on the Singapore match,” Shome added. “The support from the expatriate Bangladeshis here is really motivating us, and we are hoping for a good performance.”