3 min readMay 23, 2026 08:13 PM IST
India had named a huge 28-member squad for the upcoming Unity Cup in London but as many as seven players could be missing from that contingent when they fly out of the country on Sunday. Mohun Bagan Super Giant have told their players that they will have to play in the tournament at their own risk, and that the club will not pay for any injuries they may sustain.
Bagan have previously refused to release players for the national camp, notably for the first one that was called by current head coach Khalid Jamil in August last year, and they have once again cited long-standing concerns over lack of compensation for clubs when players get injured while playing for the national team outside FIFA’s designated international windows.
“This time we told the players you go at your own risk. Because if you play wearing the Mohun Bagan jersey, our insurance company will pay for any expenses. When playing for India in FIFA windows, FIFA will pay. These are the rules,” a source within the club told The Indian Express.
The seven Mohun Bagan players named in the India squad are forwards Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh; midfielders Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia), Sahal Abdul Samad and Anirudh Thapa; defender Abhishek Singh; and goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.
The Unity Cup starts on May 26 and ends on May 30 while FIFA’s next international window starts on June 1. FIFA’s Club Protection Programme states that clubs are compensated if their players are “injured due to an accident while on duty with senior representative “A” teams for matches on dates listed in the international match calendar”.
Effectively, the programme is designed to compensate clubs in case their players are injured on internationa duty but only during FIFA’s designated international windows, which the Unity Cup is not set to be played in.
The club has cited the example of the injury suffered by captain Subhashish Bose and Aashique Kuruniyan while on national duty. Bagan said that Bose had suffered a serious adductor and groin injury while on national duty during India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh and asked for compensation to pay for his treatment. However, the AIFF said that Bose had suffered the injury during the ISL 2025 final which was played a few days after the Asian Cup qualifier.
Story continues below this ad
The stand off last year had happened ahead of India’s campaign in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from August 29 to September 8. There were seven Bagan players in that squad as well: Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad and Vishal Kaith.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd