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Kerala Blasters FC never really managed to take off in the previous edition of the ISL. They finished 10th last season, winning just 3 games out of 20, and will be hoping to reverse their fortunes in the upcoming campaign.
The Kochi-based side have a plethora of young Indian talent, and have brought in a decent group of foreigners as well. If head coach Ivan Vukomanovic plays his cards right, The Blasters could look to have a successful season ahead.
Here's a look at how Kerala Blasters FC might line up in their first match against ATK Mohun Bagan later today:
Goalkeeper: Albino Gomes
Kerala Blasters have got two decent goalkeepers in Prabhusukhan Gill and Albino Gomes, both of whom can comfortably operate at an ISL Level. While Gill's reflexes are his biggest strength, Gomes provides stability and experience between the posts. Albino Gomes should get the nod ahead of the youngster unless something drastic happens.
Defenders: Jessel Carneiro, Enes Sipovic, Masko Leskovic, Nishu Kumar
Jessel Carneiro will start on the left side of the defense despite the presence of Abdul Hakku in the squad. Head coach Ivan Vukomanovic will likely double down on a foreign partnership in the middle of defence due to the ISL team's lack of quality Indian centre-backs.
Enes Sipovic and Marko Leskovic will form an important partnership in central defence. Sandeep Singh and Sanjeev Stalin do provide a bit of depth in this position, but are not good enough to be starting.
Nishu Kumar doesn't have much competition on the right side of the back four and walks into the starting line-up unopposed.
Here's a list of all ISL winners from 2014 to 2021.
Midfielders: Harmanjot Khabra, Jeakson Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Adrian Luna, Rahul KP
Kerala Blasters have a bunch of talent at their disposal in the middle areas of the pitch. Young Indian midfielders like Ayush Adhikari, Givson Singh, Jeakson Singh and Vincy Baretto will be helped by the presence of experienced campaigners such as Harmanjot Khabra, Sahal Abdul Samad and Prashanth Karuthadathkuni.
The Blasters' stacked midfield has also been boosted by the arrival of midfielder Adrian Luna. The Uruguayan will likely play a central role behind the striker and is expected to control the tempo of the game.
Luna is likely to be supported by the ever-reliable defensive duo of Harmanjot Khabra and Jeakson Singh behind him. The two Indian defensive midfielders possess very different styles of midfield play. While Khabra is a decent ball-winner, Singh is more responsible for the creative side of things.
Sahal Abdul Samad will start on the left wing, while striker-cum-winger Rahul KP is expected to be deployed on the right.
Forward: Alvaro Vazquez
Alvaro Vazquez is expected to be The Blasters' sole striker up front, courtesy of his immense experience from playing in Spain's lower divisions. However, the Spaniard will face tough competition for the striking role due to the presence of Chencho Gyeltshen and Jorge Diaz in the squad.
