Bangladesh have lost Ronan Sullivan to a minor hamstring strain before the SAFF Championship, a blow for coach Thomas Dooley, whose attack was already thin.

The US-based forward earned a first senior call-up and must now wait for his debut.

Sullivan was a key figure in Bangladesh’s second SAFF Under-20 Championship triumph, and those performances earned his senior call-up.

The hamstring strain is minor, but he is expected to be out for around two weeks, which rules him out of the tournament.

The trip had been arranged. His college coach had not granted leave at first, but later allowed him to stay in Bangladesh from November 3 to 18, and the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) booked a flight for the night of November 1, since cancelled.

Sullivan had been included in Dooley’s plans for the 28-man preliminary squad due on October 18, and reports differ on whether the hosts have submitted it.

Either way, his absence forces fresh decisions, particularly up front, where Bangladesh already lack recognised strikers.

After a rest day, the squad trained on November 1, though they have yet to split into two groups for an internal match.

Hamza Choudhury and Farhaan Ali Wahid will miss the opening match on November 5 but should be available for the Sri Lanka game on November 11. Italy-based Fahmedul Islam has yet to arrive, though he is expected to train on November 2.