Sri Lanka’s football captain, Charitha Ratnayake, will miss the upcoming FIFA Series starting on March 22 due to a knee injury. The injury, known as an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury, happened during a club tournament in Maldives.
Ratnayake, who previously played for Maliyadeva College, led Sri Lanka in their last international match against Yemen during the FIFA World Cup Qualifications held at the Racecourse grounds. He scored a crucial goal in that match, held in October.
Sri Lanka is set to play two matches on March 22 and March 25, both starting at 8:45 PM under floodlights. The FIFA Series kicks off on March 22 at 3 PM at the Racecourse Grounds in Colombo, with the match between Central African Republic and Bhutan. Sri Lanka’s match against Papua New Guinea is scheduled for the same day at 8:45 PM.
This FIFA Series, announced by the world governing body last December, marks Sri Lanka’s debut as hosts. The tournament features five groups in five countries, each with four teams. Sri Lanka has included 15 overseas players in their squad, raising hopes for a successful campaign. With Ratnayake sidelined, Sri Lanka’s team management is yet to name a captain for the crucial tournament. Team Manager Hiran Ratnayake stated, “Sri Lanka has not yet named a captain for the upcoming crucial tournament.”
Sajeewa Jayakody