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The Asian Cup 2019 is almost here. The participating teams are playing their final few International friendlies in a bid to get the playing combinations right.
The Blue Tigers are also set for the campaign and recently drew 0-0 against Oman in an international friendly. With the final 23-man squad finalized, it will be interesting to see which clubs contribute the most players to the Indian national team.
In this article, we do a countdown of the 11 clubs which will have their players playing for the Blue Tigers - in ascending order according to the number of players.
Note: In case of the same number of players contributed, the club with a better position in the table has been given the preference.
#11 East Bengal (1 player)
East Bengal is the only I-League club to contribute a player to the final 23 man squad of the Indian national team for the AFC Asian Cup 2019. Their centre back Salam Ranjan Singh is that player.
The Manipur-born defender was with Bengaluru FC during the 2016-17 season before he signed for the Red and Gold Brigade in June 2017.
The lanky 23-year-old has had a brilliant season so far and will be hoping to earn his 11th national team cap during the Asian Cup.
#10 Jamshedpur FC (1 player)
There is only one player from the Men of Steel who has made it to the final 23 men Indian squad. Sumeet Passi -- the 24-year-old hailing from Haryana is that player.
The forward has not had the best of ISL season for Jamshedpur FC and only managed to find the back of the net twice. However, with Jeje also struggling to find form, he may get an opportunity to play at the Asian Cup.
#9 NorthEast United FC (1 player)
Rowllin Borges has been a vital cog for the Highlanders this ISL season. NorthEast United FC is currently placed at the fourth position on the table but their form has dwindled in the recent past as they only managed three draws and a loss from their last four matches.
Borges is one of the few players in the team who has played the full 90 minutes in all of their 12 matches so far.
With two assists, two goals, and a passing accuracy of 82.86 % for NorthEast United FC, the Goa-born midfielder will look to replicate his domestic form for the national team.
#8 FC Goa (1 player)
The Gaurs are currently in a commanding position on the ISL table with 20 points from their 11 matches and at the third position. Manipur-born Jackichand Singh has been brilliant for them on the left wing and has two goals and two assists to his name.
The 26-year-old is the only player from FC Goa to make a place in the 23 man squad for the Asian Cup.
#7 Delhi Dynamos (2 players)
Narayan Das and Vinit Rai are the two players from the Delhi-based franchise of ISL who are also a part of the Indian National team squad for the continental football extravaganza in UAE.
The Lions have had another extremely disappointing season in ISL so far -- managing just 1 win from their 12 matches and struggling at ninth position on the table.
Vinit Rai, the youngster from Assam, will hope to find some playing time in UAE. His run has not been great in the ISL but Constantine has trusted him and he will look to make the most of the opportunities he gets and try to live up to the expectations.
Narayan Das forms an important part of the Delhi Dynamos backline and a regular starter for them. The 25-year-old will give healthy competition to Subhashish Bose to start in the left-back position for India at the AFC Asian Cup.
#6 Mumbai City (2 players)
Amrinder Singh and Subhasish Bose are the two Islanders which will also be seen donning the Blue jersey of the national team at the AFC Asian Cup.
The Mumbai City FC custodian -- Amrinder -- has had a terrific ISL campaign and made the most number of saves (34) so far.
He is also second on the minutes per goal (98.3 minutes) conceded list. The Punjab-born player kept the most number of clean sheets (6) this season. Constantine also gave him a start ahead of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the International friendly against Oman.
Subhashish Bose has had a very disciplined performance in the ISL. 46 tackles, 15 interceptions, 90 clearances, and 25 blocks -- in 12 matches -- his numbers alone dictate his paramount importance for Mumbai. The defender will likely be the first choice left-back for Constantine at the Asian Cup.
#5 Chennaiyin FC (3 players)
The Marina Machans, the defending champions of the last ISL, are struggling at the bottom place of the table this time around.
Yet, there are three Chennaiyin FC players -- namely Anirudh Thapa, Germanpreet Singh, and Jeje Lalpekhlua -- who find their names in the final 23 man squad for the Asian Cup.
The young Thapa is one of the regulars for the Marina Machans but will really need to take out his best in case he wants to make a mark at the Asian Cup. The same goes with midfielder Germanpreet Singh.
Jeje Lalpekhlua will really need to brush off his poor form quickly. The Mizo sniper is having a barren spell and really needs to up the ante if he wants to get back to his goal-scoring form.
#4 Kerala Blasters (3 players)
Anas Edathodika and Sandesh Jhingan are still Constantine's most reliable players in the centre-back position. Both have ample experience and also share a terrific understanding between each other.
Halicharan Narzary has one assist and one goal to his name in the ongoing ISL season. The 24-year-old will look to make the most of whatever opportunities he gets and try to create an impact from the wing.
#3 FC Pune City (3 players)
The Pune based franchise of the ISL will see Vishal Kaith, Sarthak Golui, and Ashique Kuruniyan from their side representing India in the Asian Cup.
Vishal Kaith is a good back up option between the sticks. He has made 14 saves in the 4 matches he played for the Stallions but at the same time he also conceded 10 goals.
Sarthak Golui will be a backup option for Constantine in the Right back position. Left Winger Ashique Kuruniyan, meanwhile, has one goal and one assist to his name in the 12 ISL matches he has played this season. There are plenty of options Constantine has in the left wing position now.
#2 ATK (3 players)
Pritam Kotal, Pronay Halder, and Balwant Singh are the three players from the Red and Whites who will be looking to give it their all in national team colours.
Kotal recently signed a three and a half year contract with ATK after spending the first half of the season with the Delhi Dynamos FC. He will be the first choice right back for Constantine.
Pranoy Halder has been good for the Steve Coppell's troops. He is a defensive midfielder who is tactically aware and possesses brilliant game sense.
Balwant Singh had an enjoyable season with Mumbai City FC last time around but his performance has been far from satisfactory for ATK.
The Punjab-born forward really needs to pull out something extraordinary from the bag in case he wants to give the Indian team a chance to make it past the Group stages.
#1 Bengaluru FC (3 players)
The Blues have by far been the best performing team in the ISL. Eight wins and three draws from their 11 encounters sees them at pole position in the table.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Udanta Singh, and Sunil Chhetri are the three Bengaluru FC players who made the cut to the 23-member Indian team. All three players have plenty of experience playing for the national team and are also enjoying good form domestically.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has made 28 saves and is also in the top spot currently for the Golden Glove award as he has the best minutes per goal conceded ratio.
The Punjab-born custodian will be an extremely vital component and likely the first choice between the sticks. The well-built goalkeeper is one of the main reasons that the Blues have conceded only eight (the lowest) goals in the ISL so far.
The Manipur-born Udanta Singh is enjoying a good ISL. The 22-year-old Right winger has three goals and an assist to his name and is a constant threat to the opposition goal.
Not surprisingly, Sunil Chhetri is leading the charts and is the top Indian goalscorer of the ISL so far with five goals to his name.
The veteran forward also has an assist to his name but will be disappointed that he has been unable to find the back of the net in the previous five matches.
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