India will look to give the nucleus of the team a run out against Vietnam here on Friday evening, said national football coach Bob Houghton.
And that could mean 20-30 minutes in the middle for Steven Dias and N.P. Pradeep, both returning to peak fitness, as the build-up continues for next January’s Asian Cup finals in Doha.
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Skipper Bhaichung Bhutia though is likely to sit out again still not having recovered from injury sustained in the match against Namibia last month.
The match at the Balewadi Sports Complex is likely to give central midfielder Baldeep Singh his debut.
Asian Games group
India have been clubbed with defending champions Qatar, Kuwait and Singapore in the Asian Games' football competition. Competition starts on November 7.
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