Tendulkar`s absence won`t affect Mumbai much: Robin

Chennai: The availability of Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar for the Champions League Twenty20 is uncertain due to his toe injury but coach Robin Singh on Saturday insisted that the veteran batsman`s absence would not hurt the team much.

Robin refused to say whether Tendulkar, whose injury flared up during the just-concluded disastrous tour of England, would play in the Champions League starting with the qualifiers from September 19. "Harbhajan is definitely available but if Sachin is not available, it will not affect the team greatly and it will be an opportunity for others to prove their mettle," Robin told reporters here. Asked about the team`s preparedness, Robin said, "The same set of qualities that we have displayed during our earlier matches in the IPL will count." "We are fairly well-prepared. We had a camp in Bangalore before reaching here. The Bangalore camp was very beneficial and the players were able to gel together," he added. PTI