Picture courtesy: AIFF Media

Indian national coach Stephen Constantine announced his preliminary squad of 38 probables for India’s forthcoming back to back 2018 FIFA World Cup / 2019 AFC Asian Cup – Preliminary Joint Qualification matches against Oman and Guam respectively. The list of 38 would be trimmed to 26 post completion of the ongoing edition of the I-League.

The selected 26 players along with the support staff would be reporting to the camp in Bangalore on June 3 with the practice kicking-off from the following day, June 4. India play their first match against Oman at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore on June 11 while the next match against Guam will be played in Guam on June 16.

India have been clubbed in Group D of the qualifiers along with Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Guam.

Speaking to AIFF Media, Constantine felt the Qualifiers provide India an opportunity to rub shoulders with the best, by saying, “We are on the platform where we wanted to be. We are now competing against the best teams in Asia and it’s the stage for the best teams to compete against each other.”

“We have selected a group of players that have impressed for their respective clubs in the last two-three months. The list would be brought down to 26 for the preparatory camp.”

INDIA PROBABLES

Goalkeepers
Subrata Pal (Salgaocar FC), Arindam Bhattacharya (Bharat FC), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Stabaek FC, NORWAY), Sanjiban Ghosh (Mumbai FC)

Defenders
Rino Anto, Lalchhuanmawia (both Bengaluru FC), Reagan Singh, Lalhmangaihsanga (both Royal Wahingdoh FC), Pritam Kotal, L. Dhanachandra Singh (Mohun Bagan AC), Robert Lalthlamuana, Arnab Mondal, Gurwinder Singh (all East Bengal Club), Sandesh Jhingan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Augustin Fernandes (Salgaocar SC), Aiborlang Khongjee (Shillong Lajong FC)

Midfielders
Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Cavin Lobo, Mohammed Rafique (all East Bengal Club), Eugeneson Lyngdoh, C.K. Vineeth (both Bengaluru FC), Godwin Franco, Jackichand Singh, Saityasen Singh (all Royal Wahingdoh FC), Sehnaj Singh (Mohun Bagan AC), Dhanapal Ganesh (Pune FC), Mandar Rao Dessai, Francis Fernandes, Germanpreet Singh (all Dempo SC), Rowlin Borges (both Sporting Clube de Goa), Bikash Jairu (Salgaocar FC)

Forwards
Sunil Chhetri, Robin Singh (both Bengaluru FC), Holicharan Narzary (Dempo SC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Mohun Bagan AC), Thongkhosien Haokip (Pune FC), Sumit Passi (Sporting Clube de Goa), Lalchhawnkima (Royal Wahingdoh FC)

(Report & Picture courtesy AIFF Media)