In a major setback to FC Pune City, marquee player Eidur Gudjohnsen and midfielder Andre Bikey have been ruled out of the upcoming third edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) due to their respective injuries.
Gudjohnsen picked an ankle injury in his left leg while Bikey suffered the left thigh injury.
Reflecting on the news, FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel said,"Eidur is the leader of the team and both him and Andre are excellent players and amazing human beings. It's a rude shock to me to learn about their injuries and their presence will be missed by everyone in the club. Eidur is very disappointed himself. We wish both players a speedy recovery and hope to see them on the pitch soon. As for the club, we need to look ahead now and prepare ourselves for the new reality. I am sure our team and coaches will fight this challenge with renewed vigour and confidence!"
Disappointed by his sudden exit ahead of the ISL, Gudjohnsen said, "What was an exciting start to my new journey in India with FC Pune City, has come to an abrupt end unfortunately. Just a few days back, on my left ankle, what I thought was a niggle, turned out to be more than that. After getting it checked and having multiple opinions, I have been advised that it needs more extensive rehabilitation. The team doctors as well as the league doctors recommended that if I want to continue playing in future, as I intend to do, I must give myself some time off the field to recover."
Gudjohnsen, however, wished his best to all his fans, team management and his teammates.
"My heartfelt gratitude and best wishes go to the FC Pune City management, my team mates and coach Habas who put so much faith in me as their marquee player. The fans and people here who gave me a warm welcome, deserved more from me, but unfortunately my campaign with FC Pune City has to end for now. I look forward to being back in the near future and wish FC Pune City the best of luck for ISL 2016," he added.
Head coach Antonio Habas said, "The injuries to Eidur and Andre both are unfortunate developments for us. Eidur had a very good pre-season training stint with us in Spain where he showed us his formidable skills. But then injuries are a part of every sport and football is a team game so we have to move on. Eidur leaves behind a lot of valuable inputs that came with his experience and the boys have learnt a lot from his presence during the pre-season training in Spain. We wish both all the best for their future.