Saad faces year-long lay-off after Achilles injury

Bangladesh defender Saad Uddin faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an Achilles tendon injury during the hosts’ emphatic 4-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the SAFF Championship, with the recovery period potentially stretching to a year.

Assistant coach Hasan Al Mamun estimated that Saad could need six to eight months to recover from the injury, while captain Jamal Bhuyan feared the defender could be out of action for at least a year.

The booter sustained the injury in the 81st minute of Wednesday’s match. He was carried off on a stretcher before being rushed to hospital by ambulance.

Team doctor Dr Tushar Mahmud confirmed that Saad had suffered damage to his Achilles tendon and underwent an MRI scan on Wednesday night. The team management were awaiting the report to establish the extent of the injury and determine whether surgery would be necessary.

Jamal, however, said he had heard that the defender had suffered an Achilles tendon rupture, which could keep him out for at least a year.

“I heard that his Achilles has ruptured. He will be out for a minimum of one year,” Jamal said during Thursday’s training session.

Saad has already been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament, dealing a major blow to head coach Thomas Dooley. The defender started both of Bangladesh’s group-stage matches and impressed with his defensive contributions.

With another demanding assignment against Pakistan in Saturday’s semi-final, Bangladesh will have to find an alternative in defence.

“The whole squad is needed because we had a match yesterday and we have another match in two days. Now Saad Uddin is injured, so of course we will need backup there. You saw Hridoy playing as a centre-back. So the whole squad is needed,” Jamal said.

Bangladesh will now look to overcome Saad’s absence and maintain their momentum as they chase a place in the final.