Mohun Bagan Super Giant coach Juan Ferrando took a dig at the Indian national football team management on Wednesday.

Bagan’s Ashique Kuruniyan picked up an injury during India’s match against Iraq on September 7 and after he returned to the club an MRI test revealed an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

“The federation (All India Football Federation) told us it was a knock. But now we can see that it is not just a knock. At the moment, I don’t know about the exact situation. He needs to check with the doctors before we realise the gravity of it (injury). If one player gets out with injury, I get very upset. We’ll take a decision when the results come,” Ferrando sounded disappointed during the ISL Media Day held in the city on Wednesday.

Kuruniyan is a vital cog in the Bagan wheel and if he is ruled out for a lengthy period, Ferrando will have to rejig his plans for the ISL, which begins next Thursday.

The Asian Games football competition begins on September 19 and the club versus country debate is raging in Indian football. The clubs have refused to release players for the national team and the AIFF on Wednesday named a 17-member squad with Sunil Chhetri as the captain.

In the initial list, Bagan central defender Anwar Ali and full back Ashis Rai were in the squad. Now Sumit Rathi, who was part of the India under-23 team that played in the AFC under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers held in Dalian, China, is the only Bagan player who will be travelling to Hangzhou.

“My squad is ready. If some players join the national team, I have to plan with other players.”

Throughout the day-long media interactions with seven clubs — East Bengal, Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters and ISL debutants Punjab FC being the other six — the club versus country question kept coming back.

“We have the calendar and it’s very clear. I’ve worked with Saudi Arabia’s national team in the past, so I know how the calendar works for the clubs. We have respect for the national team and have sent them a list of players they can use,” East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat said.

“It’s very clear that the clubs and federation (AIFF) must cooperate to do the best for the country. We have players in the Under-23 and the senior team. There is a list of East Bengal players who can participate in the Asian Games,” he added. Interestingly, the squad will have no player from the red and gold brigade.

“We have a lot of matches ahead. AFC Cup or ISL for the club and the Asian Cup qualifiers, Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers for India. As a player, I try to play as many matches as possible in a year. I just need to manage to see which game is at what time,” Bagan captain and national team regular Subhasish Bose was diplomatic.

Odisha FC goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, who also is part of the senior national team, played it safe. “It’s not my call,” he said.