The Blues have named their 29-man squad for their AFC Cup qualification match against Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army. Five academy players have been included.
The winner will face either Bangladesh’s Abahani Dhaka or Maldives’ Eagles in the play-off round.
Indian National Team captain Sunil Chhetri has been named in the squad for Bengaluru’s upcoming match. The forward missed the recent international break due to Covid-19 complications.
Joining Chhetri in the team are five reserve team players. Goalkeeper Sharon Padattil will be with the squad in Goa for the match, although he is not expected to start ahead of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Midfielders Damaitphang Lyngdoh and Muhammad Inayath have also been called up to the squad for the Cup game, as have strikers Akashdeep Singh and Sivasakthi Narayanan. The latter finished as the top scorer in Bengaluru’s BDFA Super Division League season.
New signing Yrondu Musavu-King will also be in the Bengaluru squad for the match. The 29-year-old Gabonese centre-back joined the Blues in March 2021. He has also been included in Pezzaiouli’s squad for the AFC Cup campaign. Meanwhile, the German head coach, who was appointed in place of Carles Cuadrat, will be taking charge of his new team for the first time.
Full 29-men squad:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil
Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Pratik Chaudhari, Juan Gonzalez, Wungngayam Muirang, Ajith Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Joe Zoherliana, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Biswa Darjee
Midfielders: Erik Paartalu, Suresh Wangjam, Harmanjot Khabra, Namgyal Bhutia, Emanuel Lalchhanchuaha, Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Muhammad Inayath
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustine, Naorem Roshan Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh