Sports Desk:

Bangladesh will leave Dhaka on 3 September for two friendly matches against Nepal on 6 and 9 September, but Leicester City midfielder Hamza Chowdhury will not be part of the squad.

There had been uncertainty about Hamza’s participation, given his commitments in the English league, and it has now been officially confirmed. National team manager Amer Khan told reporters, “Hamza Chowdhury is not playing against Nepal, this is confirmed. His club is not releasing him at the moment.”

Hamza made his Bangladesh debut against India in the Asian Cup qualifiers and also featured in matches against Bhutan and Singapore. During his debut at the Dhaka National Stadium, fans had the chance to watch him play. Although he will miss the Nepal friendlies, the defensive midfielder is expected to return for Bangladesh’s Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong in October.

Hamza sustained a minor foot injury in Leicester City’s 2-0 victory over Birmingham City in the English Championship last Friday. After a collision with Birmingham’s Casey Anderson, he limped off the pitch before being substituted. While neither Leicester City nor the English media provided detailed updates on the injury, Hamza later shared some celebration photos on social media.

National team manager Amer Khan explained the decision not to include Hamza for the Nepal tour: “He sustained some minor pain in the last match. Furthermore, Leicester City has a match on 13 September. Considering the club schedule and his fitness, Hamza will not play in Nepal during the September window, as his agent has informed us.”

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) had requested Leicester City to release Hamza for the tour. FIFA rules require clubs to release players 48 hours prior to international fixtures, meaning Hamza would have been expected in Kathmandu by 4 September for the 6 September match. The federation had planned for him to travel directly to Nepal, and BFF president Tabith Awal also attempted to facilitate his participation. While the arrangement was legally permissible under FIFA regulations, the federation allowed some flexibility to maintain good relations with Leicester and Hamza’s agent for future fixtures.