Sunil Chhetri to lead Bengaluru FC, Delgado left out of AFC Cup squad

Chhetri will lead Bengaluru FC in its AFC Cup preliminary stage two contest against Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC.

Sunil Chhetri (right) recently recovered from a bout of COVID-19.

India captain Sunil Chhetri returns to action after recovering from COVID-19 and will lead Bengaluru FC in its AFC Cup preliminary stage two contest here on April 14.

Bengaluru FC on Thursday named a 29-member squad for the contest against Nepalese side Tribhuvan Army FC, a day after three COVID-19 cases were detected among the players and staff. Five reserve team players were named in the team as head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli prepares for his first game in charge of the Blues.

“Skipper Sunil Chhetri will lead the side into a seventh season of continental football, with the 36-year-old having joined the side in Goa where preparations for the campaign are well underway,” the club said in a statement.

Chhetri tested positive for coronavirus on March 11 and recovered by March 28.

He missed India's international friendlies against Oman and the UAE in Dubai due to illness. India had drawn 1-1 against Oman 1-1 and lost 6-0 against UAE.

Gabonese defender Yrondu Musavu-King is the newest addition to the Blues' foreign contingent as he joins Juanan Gonzalez, Cleiton Silva and Erik Paartalu in the squad for the qualifying campaign. Spanish midfieder Dimas Delgado was cut from the squad.

The graduates from the club's reserve side include goalkeeper Sharon Padattil, midfielders Damaitphang Lyngdoh and Muhammad Inayath, and strikers Akashdeep Singh and Sivasakthi Narayanan.

The match at the GMC Stadium here will be played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, the club announced that three individuals had tested positive for the coronavirus during the camp, which began on April 5.

• Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil.
• Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Pratik Chaudhari, Juan Gonzalez, Wungngayam Muirang, Ajith Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Joe Zoherliana, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Biswa Darjee.
• Midfielders: Erik Paartalu, Suresh Wangjam, Harmanjot Khabra, Namgyal Bhutia, Emanuel Lalchhanchuaha, Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Muhammad Inayath.
• Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustine, Naorem Roshan Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh.