Bangladesh right-back Saad Uddin has been ruled out of the rest of the SAFF Championship with an Achilles tendon injury, deepening the team's defensive problems ahead of the semifinals.
Saad was hurt near the end of Bangladesh's 4-0 win over Sri Lanka and was replaced by Rahmat Mia in the 81st minute. Team doctor Dr. Tushar Mahmud said Saad had an MRI scan the night before, with the report due later in the day. He said the Achilles tendon had been damaged and it was certain that Saad could not play the remaining matches of the championship.
Assistant coach Hasan Al Mamun said such injuries usually need six to eight months of recovery, though the timeline depends on the MRI findings. He called the injury unfortunate for Saad, for Bangladesh and for his club, since the defender had been in top form.
Bangladesh were already short in defense. Center-back Topu Barman missed both group-stage matches, and Bishwanath Ghosh was unavailable for the win over Sri Lanka. Taj Uddin, Saad's younger brother, along with Rahmat Mia, Bishwanath and Tariq Raihan Kazi, can cover the right-back position.
Seventeen players, including Topu and Bishwanath, took part in a full training session. The players who started against Sri Lanka did a recovery session at the team hotel.
In the semifinals on Saturday, India play Bhutan in the first match, and Bangladesh face Pakistan in the second that night.
