The Bengaluru FC skipper is set to miss the two friendlies in Dubai on March 25 (UAE) and 29 (Oman) after he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
India play Oman on March 25 and face the UAE on March 29. The squad landed in Dubai on Sunday and had a meeting with coach Igor Stimac late evening.
While the match against Oman is scheduled for March 25, the game against UAE is slated to be played on March 29. Both the fixtures will be held in Dubai.
The Indian team would have played against Qatar at home, Bangladesh away and Afghanistan at home, but the global pandemic has forced radical changes in the fixtures.
The final list of 28 players will be announced after the Indian Super League final, which is slated to take place on March 13.
The brand-new kit, dubbed the 'Panthera Tigris', will continue to feature the tiger stripes, cementing the identity of the national team's 'Blue Tigers'.
Choosing from a list of 29 players, fans can vote for their picks in each position.
Supporting AIFF President Praful Patel's view, the sports ministry asked the AIFF to prepare a "concrete and actionable" roadmap to work towards the women team's qualification in the 2027 World Cup.
Head coach Thomas Dennerby could continue, but the journey of several of his Indian players has ended even before they could hit the road to fame, courtesy the cancellation of next year's FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup.
Though out of contention of a 2022 FIFA World Cup berth, the Indian team is still to play three matches in the round 2 qualifiers -- against Qatar (at home), Bangladesh (away) and Afghanistan (at home).
Stimac says that the 4-2-3-1 formation which he prefers is the "best system for Indian football".
India football team have 1187 points and have not lost or gained any in the FIFA rankings since the last update which took place in July.
India held Qatar to a goalless draw in the Asian qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup last year.
Jhingan said to make the world's biggest tournament, the Indian team will need to regularly feature in the AFC Asian Cup, break into the top 100 and then aim for the top 50 in the FIFA rankings.
ATK Mohun Bagan footballer Boris Thangjam has tested positive for coronavirus and will remain under quarantine.
The Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup were postponed to 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Amarjit believes that he has found farming to be an activity that has helped him gain a lot of knowledge about the land.
Jhingan is among the biggest names in Indian football at the moment, while 22-year-old Thapa has also impressed with his game
Bhaichung Bhutia threw light on the lack of a striker who can fill Chhetri's boots once he calls it a day,
India's young defender Narender Gahlot talked about his time in the senior team and his learnings from players like Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhinghan.
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