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The second edition of the Indian Super League is underway, and some teams have been hampered due to ailing absentess. Fans have missed the opportunity to see several big names due to injuries. Few players had to cut short their Indian Super League career due to injuries, and return home. Well, injuries are part of the game, and a player can only hope to return stronger. In this anthology, we take a look at 5 players who had their ISL stints cut short due to injury.
#5 Victor Simoes (FC Goa)
Brazilian forward Victor Simoes was signed by FC Goa in the second season of the Indian Super League. The 34-year-old scored two goals for Zico’s team during the pre-season, but faced fitness issues since joining the team in Dubai. FC Goa boss confirmed the same saying the Brazilian forward lacked fitness, and his team are looking to sign a player who can come and fit in straightway as there is no time for pre-season.
Simoes is a youth product of Brazilian club Flamengo, and has played for several other Brazilian clubs like Botafogo and Figueirense. He also spent three years at Club Brugge in Belgium and Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli where he scored 41 goals in 54 appearances. Victor Simoes failed to play in a single official game for FC Goa in the Indian Super League.
#4 Kondwani Mtonga (North East United FC)
Another NorthEast United player on the list is Zambian midfielder Kondwani Mtonga, who was ruled of the second season of the Indian Super League due to an injury. The 31-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament strain and meniscal injury in their pre-season friendly against Lansing FC.
"Kondwani had suffered an ACL strain and meniscal injury which has ruled him out of the competition this year," said the franchise in a press release.
NorthEast United announced the signing of Argentine midfielder Carlos Javier Lopez as a replacement of injured Kondwani Mtonga. The Zambian international featured in a 14 games for NorthEast United last season scoring 2 goals. He scored for NorthEast United in their first away win last season against Mumbai City FC at the D.Y. Patil Stadium.
#3 Miguel Garcia (North East United FC)
NorthEast United suffered a major blow when skipper Miguel Garcia was ruled of the second season of the Indian Super League due to an injury he suffered while playing against Kerala Blasters in their first game of the season. Garcia was substituted in the 27th minute in a 1-0 defeat to FC Pune City, and it was later known he has suffered an Achilles tendon rupture which will require a recovery time of 10 to 12 weeks. Cameroon defender Andre Bikey, who was a free agent, was signed as a replacement.
“Hero Indian Super League club NorthEast United have announced the signing of Cameroon defender Andre Bikey as a replacement for Miguel Garcia who suffered an Achilles tendon rupture early into the ongoing second edition,” said the franchise in a press release.
Garcia was ever present for NorthEast United in the inaugural season, and featured in 13 games for the Highlanders. He was one of the foreigners who decided to stay in India after the Indian Super League, and signed for I-league side Sporting Clube de Goa.
#2 Denzil Franco (Atletico de Kolkata)
Indian international Denzil Franco, who was signed by Atletico de Kolkata and was also later retained for the second season, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury last season. The 29-year-old was subbed off in the 22nd minute against FC Goa, and it was later revealed that he had injured his anterior cruciate ligament, and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Atletico de Kolkata players showed support for their teammate by holding his jersey while coming out of the tunnel, and skipper Luis Garcia dedicated Atletico de Kolkata’s 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters to Denzil Franco. He kept a clean sheet in his debut game in a 3-0 win over Mumbai City at the Saltlake Stadium, and was also awarded “Amul Fittest Player of the Match award”. The right back made just four appearances for the team last season, and was one of their best players during the early days of the tournament.
#1 Fredrik Ljungberg (Mumbai City FC)
Arsenal legend Fredrik Ljungberg was signed by Mumbai City FC as their marquee player in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League. The 38-year-old made only four appearances for the club during his time in Mumbai, and had to return to London before the end of the season to recover from a back injury.
Ljungberg also missed the start of the tournament due to an injury, and was left out of the squad for Mumbai City FC’s first game against Atletico de Kolkata. He made his Indian Super League debut in a 2-0 home defeat to NorthEast United, but had to come off early after he pulled off his hamstring during the game leaving his side down to nine men on the pitch as Mumbai had already used all their substitutes, and defender Pavel Cmovs was sent off. Safe to say, Ljungberg’s Indian Super League career didn’t turn out as he and Mumbai City FC fans would have wanted to.
