Bichakhchyan has explained the reason for not participating in the Armenian national team's upcoming matches.
Vahan Bichakhchyan, a midfielder for the Armenian national team and Legia Warsaw, has issued a statement on social media explaining why he did not join the national squad for the final two matches of the Nations League group stage.
The 27-year-old footballer, who is gradually returning to the pitch following a long absence, noted that he is not yet fully prepared for the physical demands, especially given that he had previously experienced a recurrence of his injury.
"I am very sorry that I am not with the national team for the last two Nations League matches. I have only recently returned to the pitch following my injury and am still in the process of fully regaining my match fitness. At this stage, it is crucial for me to gradually get back into the rhythm of play, manage my physical workload appropriately, and avoid rushing—especially considering that my injury had previously recurred." "By gradually increasing my playing time at the club, I aim to regain the necessary physical fitness and reach peak condition by the spring, so that I can contribute fully to our national team. I wish our boys success in the upcoming matches and am confident that they will do their absolute best to bring joy to our fans. In heart and spirit, I am always with the national team. See you soon!" wrote the Armenian midfielder.
Following a long absence, Bichakhchyan returned to the pitch on October 30, coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute during a Polish league match against Górnik. Then, yesterday—November 8—in a match against Raków during the 14th round of the Ekstraklasa (which ended 2–4), the Armenian footballer entered the pitch at the start of the second half and scored a goal in the 63rd minute. Following a pass from Bohdan Viunnyk, he struck an accurate shot from the edge of the penalty area, marking his first goal of the current season.
It is worth recalling that on November 6, the head coach of the Armenian national team, Yeghishe Melikyan, announced the squad for the upcoming matches. According to an official clarification from the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), Vahan Bichakhchyan, Kamo Hovhannisyan, and Erik Simonyan have only recently recovered from injuries and are not yet back to full match fitness. In addition, Eduard Spertsyan, Henry Avagyan, Sergey Muradyan, Julio Bueno, and Finn Geragossian will also be unable to assist the national team during this training camp due to injuries.
It should be noted that in the final rounds of Group 2, League C of the Nations League, the Armenian national team will host Cyprus on November 12 at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, and will face Latvia in Riga on November 15. After four rounds, Montenegro leads the group standings with 10 points, followed by Cyprus with 7, Armenia with 4, and Latvia with 1 point.
