Three players who will not travel to Qatar as part of Igor Stimac's squad

All three players dropped by Igor Stimac are defenders.

India played out a goalless draw against Kuwait in their recent clash in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers on Thursday. The game, which also marked Sunil Chhetri’s final appearance in national colours, was a frustrating match for the Blue Tigers as they couldn’t take all three points.

The Blue Tigers’ hopes of making it to the third round of the qualifiers now hangs by a thread and they need a miracle on the final matchday to turn the tide in their favour.

On Saturday, Igor Stimac announced the 23-man squad that would be traveling to Qatar for the all-important match.

Three players have been ruled out from the squad and will not be traveling to Qatar. Let us take a look at the three names:

Subhasish Bose

Perhaps the biggest surprise that was seen in the squad was the absence of star defender Subhasish Bose. The defender had an amazing season with Mohun Bagan, as he led his side to a domestic double and also took them to the ISL final.

Bose’s incredible form and recent performances led many to believe that he would be an almost certain inclusion in the lineup for such a big game. But, a personal emergency means that he will not be able to get on board with the squad.

Despite keeping a clean-sheet, India’s defence was quite out of place at times and needed their goalkeeper to save them on several occasions on Thursday. India were also quite lucky to have not conceded an almost certain penalty when Anwar Ali completely mistimed his tackle in the second half.

Lalchungnunga

East Bengal’s star defender Lalchungunga has been under Igor Stimac’s watch for quite some time now. The Croatian also entrusted him with handling the backline against Qatar in their World Cup Qualifier in November.

Lalchungnunga has a really strong presence in the backline and can also play accurate long balls from the back. Lalchungunga’s sturdy aerial presence and height also allow him to handle aerial duels with much ease.

Amey Ranawade

In his season-long loan spell with Odisha FC, Amey Ranawade redeemed himself and proved to the critics yet again why he is one of India’s most highly-rated right-backs.

The 26-year-old had a bustling season with the Juggernauts, as he made 21 appearances and had six assists and a goal to his name. Seeing his incredible form and also Nikhil Poojary’s underwhelming season with performance against Kuwait, it was assumed by many that Stimac might give Ranawade a chance to represent the national team.

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