ISL 2020-21: Brandon Fernandes undergoes minor surgery, out till playoffs

FC Goa attacking midfielder Brandon Fernandes has undergone a minor surgery for a quadricep tear and will be out for the remainder of the league stage games in the Indian Super League (ISL), according to a report by The Times of India. He should however be able to return to the pitch for the playoff clashes should the Gaurs make it to that stage in the beginning of next month.

The 26-year-old suffered the injury in the 1-1 draw against ATK Mohun Bagan last month and hasn’t featured in his side’s last three outings. In his absence, Juan Ferrando’s side have lacked a bit of quality in the final third which can be gauged from the fact that they’ve failed to win a single match since his injury, drawing all three against Kerala Blasters, SC East Bengal and NorthEast United respectively. At the moment, it depends on how quickly he can recover after the surgery but it seems like he might have a chance to be back for the knockout stages if everything goes according to plan.

https://twitter.com/FCGoaOfficial/status/1358634175826440193

NorthEast United’s draw against Hyderabad FC on Sunday means that both those sides are now a point above Goa and in the top 4 having played a game more than them. Therefore, with just five matches left in their group stage campaign, the onus will now be on the likes of Alexander Jesuraj and the newly-recruited Amarjit Singh Kiyam to ensure that the likes of Igor Angulo and Jorge Ortiz are not starved of service. Ferrando has also used Devendra Murgaonkar in Brandon’s absence and the youngster has shown that he can be a different kind of solution with his speed and energy in the final third. However, Brandon’s experience and technical ability will surely be difficult to replace during the most important part of the season for the side.