Full-back William Xalco will replace Harpal Singh in Indian hockey team for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

The replacement was necessitated as the Namdhari defender is down with chicken pox.

Indian chief coach Rajinder Singh Jr said Harpal's face and upper body is covered with the disease marks and it would take considerable time for the scales to heal.

"We had requested the IHF [Indian Hockey Federation] to send a suitable replacement immediately for him," he said in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Xalco, who last played for India in the Champions Trophy at Chennai last December, had to sit out of the six-Test India-Pakistan series in February due to injury.

The team management in Melbourne is hoping the up-and-coming Bharat Petroleum player will lend stability to the defence.

Xalco is expected to arrive in the Victorian capital before India's opening fixture against the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth silver medallists Malaysia on Friday.

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