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According to representatives from Bengaluru FC and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu might not be released for the Asian Games next month due to injuries to the second and third goalkeepers.

According to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, Sandhu, 31, is one of the three players over 24 whose names were added to ensure that India will have “its strongest representation” in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, according to an official who was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. The other athletes on the 22-person list for the Asian Games who are above 24 years old are Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan.

On September 19, India will play the hosts; on September 21, Bangladesh; and three days later, Myanmar. Four of the best third teams and the top two teams from each of the six groups will advance to the round of 16.

Amrit Gope and Vikram Lakhbir Singh, the goalkeepers for Bengaluru FC, are injured and are not expected to be available in September, according to a club representative. Another custodian, Lara Sharma, has been loaned to Kerala Blasters. Even running training sessions is difficult for us, the official admitted.

An official from Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which oversees the league, stated on Tuesday that the 10th season of the Indian Super League (ISL) could begin in the third week of September. According to the federation official cited above, AIFF has written to FSDL asking it to make sure that all of the best players are accessible when the league begins.

However, if the ISL begins during the Asian Games, teams are not required to release players because it is not a FIFA window (a period of time during which only international matches are allowed, one of which is the King’s Cup, which India will play from September 4 to 12). For the past three days, AIFF and Bengaluru FC have been in secret negotiations to find a solution.