FC Goa goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh replaced Amrinder Singh late on Sunday in the 23-member India football squad for the SAFF Championship to be held in Maldives from October 1.

ATK Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Amrinder was in the squad named by coach Igor Stimac earlier in the day. News agency PTI reported Dheeraj was a last-minute inclusion after Amrinder tested positive for Covid-19.

Midfielder Udanta Singh, who missed the two international friendlies against Nepal earlier this month, made the cut for the October 1-16 regional tournament.

Defender Akash Mishra, midfielders Bipin Singh and Pronay Halder were the other players left out of the squad. Bipin took ill a few days back and even though he has recovered, the team management thought it would be better to give the Mumbai City player more rest.

The players and the support staff will assemble in Bangalore on Monday and fly out to the Maldives the next day. Stimac, and other members of the technical staff, will join the squad directly in Maldives on the same day.

Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and hosts Maldives are the other teams in the championship. Each team plays each other once with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

“We are all looking forward to the SAFF Championship as the leading football country in this part of Asia,” Stimac said.

“These four-five games are extremely crucial for us as we won’t have any other chance of getting together before the start of third round AFC Asian Cup qualifiers next season. So these matches should help us to improve a few points in our game,” the Croatian coach added.