Blow for India on the Eve of the Asian Champions Trophy: Manpreet Singh Out With a Calf Injury, Vivek Sagar Prasad Called In
India’s title defence took a hit a day before it even starts. Veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh is out of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 with a calf injury picked up in training, and Vivek Sagar Prasad has been drafted into the squad in his place.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh confirmed the news at the pre-tournament press conference of all six captains in Jalandhar on Monday. “A calf injury sustained during a training session has ruled out Manpreet Singh from Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026. He has been replaced by fellow playmaker Vivek Sagar Prasad in India squad,” Harmanpreet said.
It’s a cruel one for Manpreet, and not just because of what he brings on the pitch. He made his senior India debut back in 2011, has played 430 internationals, won two Olympic medals and three Asian Games golds, and yet he has never played a home game in front of fans in Punjab. Jalandhar is where he learned the game as a kid. This tournament was supposed to be that moment, in front of his own people, and now it’s gone.
For India, the timing could hardly be worse. Manpreet is the calm head in midfield, the guy who settles a game when it gets frantic. Losing him the day before the opener means Craig Fulton’s midfield plans get redrawn overnight, and it puts real responsibility on Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma and now Vivek to control the tempo from the first whistle.
Vivek, for his part, is no passenger. He’s a playmaker in his own right and a former India vice-captain, so this isn’t a like-for-like swap in experience terms, but it is a player who knows exactly what this shirt demands. How quickly he slots into the combinations will be one of the first things to watch on Tuesday night.
India still open as favourites, and rightly so. They’re the defending champions, the tournament’s most successful side with five titles, and they’re playing at home. They open against Bangladesh on Tuesday 27 October at 6:30 PM PKT in Jalandhar, then face China on 29 October, Japan on 30 October, Malaysia on 1 November and South Korea on 2 November. The semi-finals are in Mohali on 4 November, with the medal matches on 5 November.
But let’s not pretend this changes nothing. South Korea are the only other side in the field who have ever won this trophy, and Malaysia arrive fresh from winning the Sultan of Johor Cup. India can still win this, and for our money they still should. They’ll just have to do it without the man who has steered their midfield for a decade.
Related links:
https://sportscursor.com/asian-champions-trophy-2026-opening-day-card-india-bangladesh-26-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/bangladesh-final-18-asian-champions-trophy-2026-gerhard-rach-squad/
https://sportscursor.com/asian-champions-trophy-2026-two-days-out-india-bangladesh-opener-25-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/live/
