Football

Manolo Marquez reveals Sunil Chhetri will play against Maldives

India head coach Manolo Marquez has revealed that veteran striker Sunil Chhetri will play the international friendly against Maldives at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong on Wednesday. The Blue Tigers will gear up for the Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on 25th March.

Meanwhile, Marquez was able to convince Chhetri to come out of retirement and play for the Blue Tigers. Chhetri is in splendid form as he has scored a dozen goals and has provided two assists for Bengaluru FC in the ongoing Indian Super League, thus playing a key role in team’s qualification for the playoffs.

“For sure, Sunil will play some minutes. I don’t know whether as a starter or from the bench. We can use six substitutions, so 17 players can play, and I think Sunil will be one of them.

“He is the Indian player with the most goals this season. It doesn’t matter if a player is 20, 40, or my grandfather at 87. If they are in better shape, they will be here. The national team is not about developing players. Developed players have to arrive here. The main team needs to win games. And if we need to win games, we need to call players who are in better shape,” said Marquez.

The Spaniard said he would not play exactly the same team against Bangladesh in the opening qualifier match.

“It’s a friendly game to prepare for the Asian Cup qualifier. Obviously, we want to win. We knew that the target during the previous FIFA windows was to arrive in the best possible condition for the first competitive match against Bangladesh next Tuesday.”

“I don’t think we will play with the same team against Bangladesh that will play tomorrow. Obviously, you can’t change all 11. Some will repeat on Tuesday. I’m confident in all my players. It has to be a good game and a good preparation for Bangladesh,” said Marquez.

India squad:

Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Vishal Kaith.

Defenders: Asish Rai, Boris Singh Thangjam, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Hmingthanmawia, Mehtab Singh, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose.

Midfielders: Ashique Kuruniyan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Brandon Fernandes, Brison Fernandes, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Suresh Singh Wangjam.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary, Irfan Yadwad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

India takes on Maldives in international friendly before AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers

The Blue Tigers will look to fine-tune their skills against the Maldives in the international… Read More

March 19, 2025

IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya confirms Suryakumar Yadav will lead Mumbai Indians against CSK

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav will lead the franchise in… Read More

March 19, 2025

Aakash Chopra says IPL 2025 will present a great opportunity to Rajat Patidar, says he shouldn’t follow Virat Kohli’s approach

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra believes the upcoming season of IPL 2025 will give… Read More

March 19, 2025

Vikram Rathour backs Vaibhav Suryavanshi to become a big player if he works hard

Rajasthan Royals batting coach Vikram Rathour is impressed with youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s batting power ahead… Read More

March 19, 2025

IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer hails head coach Ricky Ponting ahead of new season

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer has showered praise on head coach Ricky Ponting after reunion… Read More

March 19, 2025

AB de Villiers hails Virat Kohli for supporting RCB’s decision to appoint Rajat Patidar as captain

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter AB de Villiers lauded Virat Kohli for supporting the franchise’s… Read More

March 19, 2025