Margao: India will be missing strikers Sunil Chettri and Jeje Lalpeklua for the international football friendly against the higher-ranked Zambia here at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda Tuesday.
The two players are away in Scotland attending trials with Rangers and would be replaced by Baljeet Sahni and Sushil Singh against the World No. 79.
The match will also serve as a warm-up for India ahead of the eight-nation SAFF Cup that begins on Friday in New Delhi.
Chief coach Savio Medeira said it will be a tough game against Zambia.
"The match is very important for us. This is a great opportunity to gauge where we stand. The Zambian team are ranked higher than us and are an athletic side. It will be a learning experience for the boys ahead of the SAFF Championship," said Medeira.
Medeira was unfazed by the absence of his strikers and said it was a great opportunity for youngsters.
"The duo has brought us laurels in the recent past. But this is a great opportunity for the others to prove themselves," he added.
Defenders Govin Singh and Nirmal Chhetri are also making a comeback to the national squad.
Sahni said the 3-2 win against Malaysia in Kolkata will stand in good stead for the team.
"If we play as a unit - like we played against Malaysia, we should pose a challenge for Zambia. We hope to bank on the crowd support. We will give our 100 percent," said Sahni.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Karanjit Singh, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury.
Defenders: Jaspal Singh, Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Debabrata Roy, Nirmal Chhetri, Syed Rahim Nabi, Gouramangi Singh, Govin Singh.
Midfeilders: Baldeep Singh, Rocus Lamare, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Francis Fernandes, Climax Lawrence, Anthony Periera, Clifford Miranda, Jewel Raja, Steven Dias, Lalrindika Ralte.
Forwards: Baljit Sahni, Sushil Singh, Joaquim Abranches.
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