Three senior players, including captain Dilip Tirkey will sit out of the two-Test hockey series against Spain due to injuries, chief coach Gerhard Rach said on Thursday.
Besides Tirkey, the other two players who will miss the matches on November 28 and 30 are midfielder Viren Rasquinha and Vikram Pillay.
However, the three are expected to be fit in time for the Champions Trophy, Rach told reporters on the sidelines of the final of the Nehru Cup hockey tournament in Delhi.
"There is nothing to worry. The three will be missing the series against Spain, but I hope them to be fit for the Champions Trophy," he said, without elaborating on the kind of injuries to the players.
Rach said the series would give some "vital experience" to the young players in the side ahead of the six-nation Champions Trophy, starting in Lahore on December 4.
"Spain is one of the best teams in the world. We have more or less played against other teams, but not against Spain. The matches will give the young players some good exposure."
Rach also confirmed that there will be no change in the team that played against Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
The German-born coach, who watched the final between Punjab Police and Border Security Force, said he was not impressed with the performance of the players.
"May be the pressure of playing in the final took a toll on the players," he said.
"I did not see anyone being impressive. Baljit Dhillion looked the most skilled of the lot, but he too appeared to be playing for a veterans' team."
