Back from vacation, Cabrera bemoans lack of regular domestic competition

Javier Cabrera on Tuesday returned to Bangladesh and joined the national team's ongoing training camp for the upcoming Asian Cup Qualifier against India, scheduled for November 18, after having spent time with his family in Spain.

However, Bashundhara Kings players have not yet joined the camp, as the club requested additional rest for their footballers following a disappointing campaign in the AFC Challenge League. The Kings returned from Kuwait on Saturday after losing all three group-stage matches.

According to team manager Amer Khan, the selected Kings players were initially expected to report on Monday but the club management officially informed the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) that the players will join the camp on November 7 -- eight days after the start of camp.

This is not the first time club commitments have delayed national team preparations. Both Bashundhara Kings and Mohammedan had previously released their players late for the qualifiers against Singapore and Hong Kong. Cabrera had to start those training camps without the full squad before eventually getting all players together after more than a week.

The extended training camps have sparked debate, as domestic competitions remain suspended to accommodate Cabrera's schedule. The Spanish coach typically relies on a core group of 28 to 30 players for international fixtures.

Captain Jamal Bhuyan during training. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

"In the end, the international windows are very close to one another. We always prepare in a similar way, with similar ideas. So, it's normal to give continuity to the same group," Cabrera said when asked whether Bangladesh have only 30 players of international quality.

Cabrera also pointed out that the lack of regular domestic football limits his ability to identify new talent. "We don't have a consistent league or regular competition to see new players performing at a level high enough for national selection. That's why around 90 to 95 percent of the squad has remained unchanged in the past three months," he explained.

Addressing why he avoids expanding the training squad, Cabrera said, "If you start with 22 players and later add 12 more, the total becomes 30-35, and the quality of training drops. It's best to keep 25–27 players; otherwise, the difference in quality becomes too big."

Bangladesh currently sit bottom of their four-team group with two points from four matches. Cabrera aims to end the campaign strongly, targeting victories over India and Singapore, and a morale-boosting win against Nepal in a friendly on November 13.