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Mumbai City FC have been rocked by the injury to talented young midfielder Brandon Fernandes which is likely to see him ruled for the rest of the season as hinted by manager Nicolas Anelka during the pre-match press conference in Goa on Monday.
Brandon Fernandes who made his first start after returning from a knee injury suffered a hamstring injury when he was tackled from behind in the game against FC Pune City and had to be substituted for Sampath Kuttymani.
The Goan midfielder underwent scans on Saturday and the assessment of the same spelt bad news for Brandon and Mumbai City FC.
“Brandon has injured his hamstring and is unlikely to play a part again this season,” said Nicolas Anelka at the pre-match press conference in Goa ahead of their game to FC Goa.
Brandon Fernandes is one of the top upcoming players in India and a lot was expected of the youngster in the Hero Indian Super League. Tipped to have a bright future ahead of him, the ISL would have helped Brandon Fernandes to reach the next level, especially playing with the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Sunil Chhetri and Sony Norde.
Brandon’s injury is a real shame: Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka had been an admirer of the prodigy that Brandon Fernandes is, ever since he joined the club. The attacking midfielder impressed the Frenchman during the club’s pre-season in Dubai which earned his a lot of praise from his illustrious manager.
“Brandon is a very good player, he is very clever and is very quick. He has a good understanding of the game and having played with him in pre-season, I can say that it’s very easy to play with him,” Anelka spoke about Brandon Fernandes before the start of the season.
However, the Mumbai City FC manager didn’t hold back as he expressed his disappointment at Brandon’s unfortunate injury, calling it ‘real shame’.
“Brandon’s injury is a big shame. He is very talented and I had him in my plans right from the beginning, but unfortunately, the lad hasn’t got the chance to showcase his talent and it’s a real shame for everyone,” expressed Anelka as he reacted to Brandon’s injury after the game against FC Pune City.
It is indeed a shame that one of India’s most talented youngsters is denied arguably the biggest stage in Indian football due to injury. But Nicolas Anelka’s words of praise, said with deep conviction will serve as a great solace for the unfortunate prodigy, as he tries to recover in time for the business end of Mumbai City’s season.
