Masked Jhingan set to face Istiklol in crucial ACL2 clash

Panaji: Sandesh Jhingan is set to return to competitive football exactly a month after he sustained a cheekbone fracture against Iran but continued on the field till the final whistle.
Jhingan’s first-half injury against Iran at the CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan on Sept 1 left him needing a surgery. After three weeks on the sidelines, the centre-back returned to training with his FC Goa teammates and has now been declared fit to face FC Istiklol in the AFC Champions League Two clash in Tajikistan on Wednesday.
“We have some injuries, which is normal, but Sandesh (Jhingan) and Ronnie (Willson) have recovered,” said coach Manolo Marquez. “We have 21 players available (for the trip to Tajikistan). I think, more or less, it's normal. I remember during the Covid-19 pandemic when the league was played inside a bio-secure bubble, we (at Hyderabad FC) lost about 10 players. In modern football, injuries are normal.”
Iker Guarrotxena, who was substituted against Al Seeb due to an injury, has not fully recovered. Mohammed Yasir and Seriton Fernandes have also not made the trip to Tajikistan, while Nim Dorjee is the latest addition to Goa’s injury list.
For Goa, the return of Jhingan is welcome news. The captain has been training with a protective mask.
“Initially it was tough (to train with a mask),” said Jhingan. “Like all things, when you start to wear or do something new, it feels uncomfortable. But now I can finish the whole session without having any trouble. The more I wear, the more comfortable I’ll get. I have to make peace with the fact that I have to wear the mask for another two and a half months, for my own protection. The mask has its pros and cons; you have to live with it, and continue to do your job.”
Goa started with a 2-0 loss against Al Zawraa in the ACL2 opener at Fatorda and now face a must-win game away against Istiklol to keep their qualification chances alive.
Al Nassr are on top of the group, after their 5-0 demolition of Istiklol at home. Even though captain Cristiano Ronaldo did not take the field – wasn’t even among the substitutes – the Saudi Pro League giants had enough firepower with stars like Joao Felix, Sadio Mane, Inigo Martinez, Kingsley Coman and Angelo Gabriel packing a punch.