Bhaichung Bhutia in the city on Wednesday on his return after playing the Goal4Africa match. A Telegraph picture

New Delhi: With exactly two weeks to go before the start of the AFC Challenge Cup in Hyderabad on July 30, national coach Bob Houghton is hoping to get his injured players fit for the crucial meet.

Speaking to The Telegraph after arriving with the Indian team from Portugal on Wednesday morning, the national coach said that the injured players were on the path to recovery.

“Surkumar Singh and Ajayan joined practice during the later stages of the tour,” Houghton said.

“Steven Dias (ankle injury), too, is showing signs of improvement. There is still a fortnight left for the tournament. Things should be fine by then,” Houghton said.

At least half a dozen players of the team were injured during the SAFF Cup. The injuries cost India dear as they lost to Maldives by a solitary goal in the final.

Houghton felt the tour to Portugal was a good experience for the side. “There were excellent training facilities,” he said. Houghton was confident that India would do well in the AFC Challenge Cup. “The team is shaping up well and has the capability to perform well in the Hyderabad tournament,” he said.

India are clubbed with Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan in group A of the quarter-final league.