Uzbekistan skipper Eldor Shomurodov unlikely to play AFC Asian Cup

Shomurodov plays for Serie A side Cagliari.

Eldor Shomurodov, who plays for Serie A outfit Cagliari, and is the skipper of the Uzbekistan National team, is very likely to miss the entirety of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, due to a leg injury he sustained a few days back. 

In mid-december, it was reported by the “Cagliari” press service, that Shomurodov sustained a severe leg injury during training, requiring 1-1.5 months for recovery. He fractured his ankle bone, which led to his absence from the club’s match against Napoli. 

Despite initial speculation by certain optimists regarding his timely recovery, all hopes of Eldor’s inclusion in the tournament have been ruled out, with news reports stating that the forward won’t be able to recover in time to feature for the White Wolves. 

The impact of this injury 

With Eldor’s injury, Uzbekistan have suffered a major blow on the eve of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. 

The 28 year old forward is easily one of their most illustrious and talented players, who has the experience of playing for Italian giants Roma. Eldor played 48 games for the Wolves, in which he managed 12 goal contributions. 

He currently has a total of 68 national team caps, and has scored 48 goals for his nation. 

Eldor OUT – A blessing in disguise for India?

The news of Eldor’s seclusion from the Asian Cup is certainly a huge plus point for the Blues, as their group opponents have lost one of their most crucial players. 

Igor Stimac and his men however, have a lot to do if they want to get past a resilient Uzbekistan team, as their squad is filled with a lot of other talented players.

Eldor’s absence will be nothing more than a major physiological boost for the Blue Tigers, and they will still have to put in the same amount of effort, and tackle the same storm of quality football, that is guaranteed by a team like Uzbekistan. 

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