Topu injury forces Dooley to reshuffle Bangladesh XI

Bangladesh suffered a major setback just before kick-off against Bhutan in the SAFF Championship on Thursday when captain and defender Topu Barman was ruled out after picking up an injury during the warm-up at the National Stadium.

The last-minute blow forced coach Thomas Dooley to make a change to his starting XI, with Syed Quazem Kirmanee Shah coming in for Topu. In the absence of their regular captain, experienced midfielder Jamal Bhuyan took over the armband for the match.

Topu sustained the injury while warming up ahead of the game, leaving Bangladesh with little time to adjust their plans before the opening whistle.

Bangladesh had already sprung a surprise with their initial line-up against Bhutan, deploying familiar defender Bishwanath Ghosh as the central striker. The decision to use Bishwanath in an attacking role was one of the notable features of Dooley's team selection.

Three expatriate footballers Shamit Shome, Zidane Alexander Yousuf and Zayyan Ahmed also earned places in the starting XI as Dooley opted for a 4-3-3 formation.

Bangladesh's final starting XI: Md Mehdi Hasan Srabon, Zidane Alexander Yousuf, Zayyan Ahmed, Saad Uddin, Tariq Raihan Kazi, Syed Quazem Kirmanee Shah, Shamit Shome, Jamal Bhuyan (captain), Md Foysal Ahmed Fahim, Rakib Hossain and Bishwanath Ghosh.