Chinese Football Chief Urges Clubs To Protect National Team Players From Injury

SHANGHAI, April 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Apr, 2021 ) :The Chinese Football Association president Chen Xuyuan has pleaded with clubs to protect Chinese national team players ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifiers.

The Chinese side plans to hold a training camp on May 20 as their last preparation for their remaining Asian World Cup Group A qualifiers, one month after the start of the Chinese Super League new campaign.

Chen asked the clubs to protect the Chinese internationals in their teams from injury so that they will be fit to play the World Cup qualifying matches.

"Since the national team and the clubs are in the same boat, the clubs should protect the national team players," he said.

"It calls for concerted efforts from us to guide the boat through storms. If the boat is stranded, nobody will survive," he said.

China will host the remaining Group A matches from May 30 to June 15 in Suzhou. They will face Guam, the Philippines, the Maldives and Syria in succession.

China currently is eight points adrift of group leader Syria and only leads third-placed Philippines on goal difference.

The eight group winners and four best second-placed finishers will enter the next phase of qualifying in Asia.