Constantine keeps forward line intact, drops 8 from midfield and defence

HEAD COACH STEPHEN CONSTANTINE has decided to go with the same forward line he used against Oman and Guam but a total of 8 players got the boot from the squad when he announced the 28 probables for the 31st August international friendly against Nepal, followed by the crucial World Cup qualifier tie with Iran on 8th September.

Of those dropped from the squad, only one made it onto the pitch during the matches against Oman and Guam in June. Midfielder Seityasen Singh was brought on in the 74th minute against Oman at Kanteerava, which was his national team debut. Others, namely Mohammed Rafique, Mandar Rao Dessai, Francis Fernandes, Reagan Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Augustin Fernandes and Laishram Prem Kumar Singh, remained on the bench.

Defender Gurwinder Singh will miss out the upcoming matches due to an injury sustained during his club East Bengal's pre-season friendly match against Bhawanipore FC. Constantine dropped the rest to introduce some fresh legs into the squad.

Replacing them are 9 players, most of whom are in their early 20s, reflecting Constantine's emphasis on youth and speed. 4 of these new entrants, namely Pronay Halder, Brandon Fernandes, Rowlin Borges and Romeo Fernandes, all midfielders, are yet to make their national team debut. The 3 new faces in Blue Tigers' defence, including Aiborlang Khongjee, Pritam Kotal and Narayan Das, are all youngsters who have played only a few times for the national team so far. While Pritam Kotal and Aiborlang Khongjee are coming off strong performances in the I-League 2014-15, while Narayan Das missed out on most of the season due to an injury suffered while playing for FC Goa in the ISL. 

Goalkeepers Karanjit Singh and Arindam Bhattacharya, reintroduced among the India probables, have played 21 matches for the national team between them. Both put up a decent show during the I-League, but Salgaocar and Bharat FC's defensive flaws reflected badly on their stats. Although with Subrata Paul and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu already in the squad, it is unlikely they will feature in any of the upcoming two matches. 

However, ever since his return Constantine has not shied away from handing out debuts to new players. And the friendly against Nepal is likely to see him tinkering with the squad in order to get things right before the Iran match. This presents a great opportunity for the number of young, aspiring debutants included in the probables to put on the coveted India colours. It will all depend on whether they can prove themselves in the preparatory camp, which begins on 23rd August in Pune.