Jaw fracture rules Jhingan out of CAFA Nations Cup

Panaji: India captain Sandesh Jhingan is returning home after he picked up an injury during the CAFA Nations Cup clash against Iran at the Hisor Central Stadium, Tajikistan, on Monday.
According to sources, the defender has a fractured jaw.
“Jhingan picked up the injury in the first half but continued till the end of the match,” a senior official told TOI. “He was later taken to the hospital where scans showed that he has a jaw fracture.”
Jhingan’s absence will be a huge blow for Khalid Jamil as India face Afghanistan in a decisive clash for a place in the knockout stage of the competition. The experienced defender has played every minute of both the matches and captained the side against Iran.
He was also the Player of the Match in the opening 2-1 win against hosts Tajikistan.
“Although the scoreline is something that continues to hurt but still a lot of positives from this game,” Jhingan said in a post on social media after the loss against Iran. “Thank you to all who came in the stadium to support and everyone back home cheering for us. Upwards and onwards.”
Jhingan’s injury will also cause plenty of concern back home as FC Goa prepare for the AFC Champions League Two group opener against Al-Zawraa SC (Iraq) on Sept 17. The defender is an influential member of the squad and was impressive in the win against Oman Professional League champions Al Seeb last month, a result that took Goa to the group stage of the competition.