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Kerala Blasters may actually be pondering about the unthinkable -- dropping the former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur great Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian forward has been off the pace this season and has not exactly impressed with his performances on the pitch.
Having assembled one of the most star-studded squads in the ISL this season, there were a lot of expectations on the Kochi-based franchise. The likes of ex-Red Devils Berbatov and Wes Brown, and ISL's all-time top scorer Iain Hume, along with Sir Alex Ferguson's former deputy Rene Meulensteen as the manager made for a rather formidable squad.
They have merely flattered to deceive, though, managing only three wins from 12 matches, as they languish at the seventh spot on the table. Things seemed to have taken a positive turn after Meulensteen was sacked and David James was brought in as a replacement, as the Kochi-side won two back-to-back away games for the first time.
However, successive losses at the hands of Jamshedpur FC and FC Goa have brought them down the table, and rumours of underperforming players being dropped have started doing the rounds.
Sportskeeda learned from a source close to the team that the Blasters management may even be considering the possibility of dropping injured star Dimitar Berbatov from the squad, in order to make space for another foreign player.
The team management is also said to have scheduled a meeting later this week, in order to decide his future at the club, according to sources.
The Bulgarian has been injured for a while and has not been able to contribute much to the team on the pitch. These lack of performances and the persistent injuries could well be the reason behind the Kerala management looking for fresh faces in the January transfer window.
It would be interesting to see what effect this has on the Kerala Blasters team, should the team management decide to axe the 36-year-old. However, even though he may not be on much value to the Blasters on the pitch during his injury, an experienced player like him could always be of more use as more of a mentor for the younger members of the team.
