ISL 2018: Bengaluru FC retain 12 players, rope in 5 from B team

Bengaluru FC have retained as many as 12 players from their last season’s squad as they named 25-member squad for the Indian Super League 5 commencing later this month. Apart from 12 new faces, last season’s runners-up also have five youngsters graduating from the Bengaluru FC B team and the player-draft of 2018-19.

Team’s head coach Spaniard Carles Cuadrat, who assumed charge last month only expects a tough season ahead, but leaving no stone unturned to make it count when the time comes.

“Our season began much before most clubs given we had our AFC Cup commitments. This has given us time to work with the squad we have. We have managed to retain a fair number of players from last season which is always a good thing. This season will also see five players from Bengaluru FC B fight for a place on the team and that is always encouraging as a club. There’s a good mix of experience and youth and every one of the players is hungry. It’s going to be a tough season, but one that we will give everything we have,” Cuadrat was quoted as saying by several websites.

India captain Sunil Chhetri will continue to lead the side which comprises goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, defenders Rahul Bheke and Harmanjot Khabra apart from forwards Boithang Haokip, Thongkhosiem Haokip and Udanta Singh.

The foreigners include Miku, who scored 20 goals in Season 4 will lead the forward line alongside Chhetri  with Dimas Delgado, Juanan Gonzalez and Erik Paartalu also in ranks.

Bengaluru will commence their ISL campaign with the fixture against defending champions Chennaiyin FC on September 30.

The squad:

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Soram Poirei Anganba, Aditya Patra (U21); Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Albert Serran, Sairuat Kima, Juanan Gonzalez, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Rino Anto, Nishu Kumar, Asheer Akhtar, Gursimrat Singh Gill; Midfielders: Erik Paartalu, Kean Francis Lewis, Dimas Delgado, Bidyananda Singh, Boithang Haokip, Francisco ‘Xisco’ Hernandez, Ajay Chhetri (U21), Altamash Sayed; Forwards: Nicolas Ladislao Fedor ‘Miku’, Sunil Chhetri, Thongkhosiem Haokip, Udanta Singh, Chencho Gyeltshen.

Also read: AFC confers Sunil Chhetri as ‘Asian Icon’ on his 34th birthday