'Sunil Chettri is more important than the Nehru Cup. We had a similar situation last year during the AFC Challenge Cup, when Steven Dias was injured. But still, Steven managed to play some last round matches in the tournament. I hope that Sunil also recovers quickly but as of now, his chances are slim,' he said.

The coach accepted that missing Chettri would be a big disadvantage for the team.

'He has been in fine form in the last two international tournaments and also recorded a hat-trick in the final of the AFC Challenge Cup. So given his class, it would be a disadvantage for the team,' he said.

Houghton was happy with the performance of his substitute striker Abhishek Yadav and said that defender Syed Rahim Nabi, the newly appointed East Bengal captain, may be played upfront.

The coach was also happy with the number of participating teams. After AIFF removed Palestine, the Nehru Cup has been reduced to a five-nation affair.

'We will start with Lebanon and with five teams, we will get at least four matches to play in the round robin league. It will give us more exposure. And I can assure you that all the teams are good,' he said.