The Indian national squad left for Bengaluru from New Delhi for the Preparatory Camp ahead of India’s back to back 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup Preliminary Joint Qualification matches against Oman and Guam respectively.

The squad proceeded to Bengaluru after some intense training sessions at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital and obtaining their visas for Guam. The list would be further pruned to 23 for the two matches.

India play their first match 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.

From the original list of 38 players, Arindam Bhattacharya (Bharat FC) dropped out early due to an injury, but the following 12 players have been cut from the list of 26, which includes Pritam Kotal (Mohun Bagan AC), Aiborlang Khongjee (Shillong Lajong FC), Robert Lalthlamuana (East Bengal Club), Lalhmangaihsanga (Royal Wahingdoh FC), Harmanjot Singh Khabra (East Bengal Club), Godwin Franco (Royal Wahingdoh FC), Germanpreet Singh (Dempo SC), Rowlin Borges (both Sporting Clube de Goa), Bikash Jairu (Salgaocar FC), Thongkhosien Haokip (Pune FC), Sumit Passi (Sporting Clube de Goa), and Lalchhawnkima (Royal Wahingdoh FC).

INDIA PROBABLES

Goalkeepers
Subrata Pal (Salgaocar FC), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Stabaek FC, NORWAY), Sanjiban Ghosh (Mumbai FC), Laishram Prem Kumar Singh (Royal Wahingdoh FC)

Defenders
Rino Anto, Lalchhuanmawia (both Bengaluru FC), Reagan Singh (Royal Wahingdoh FC), L. Dhanachandra Singh (Mohun Bagan AC), Arnab Mondal, Gurwinder Singh (both East Bengal Club), Sandesh Jhingan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Augustin Fernandes (Salgaocar SC)

Midfielders
Cavin Lobo, Mohammed Rafique (both East Bengal Club), Eugeneson Lyngdoh, C.K. Vineeth (both Bengaluru FC), Jackichand Singh, Saityasen Singh (both Royal Wahingdoh FC), Sehnaj Singh (Mohun Bagan AC), Dhanapal Ganesh (Pune FC), Mandar Rao Dessai, Francis Fernandes (both Dempo SC)

Forwards
Sunil Chhetri, Robin Singh (both Bengaluru FC), Holicharan Narzary (Dempo SC), Jeje Lalpekhlua (Mohun Bagan AC)

(Report & Photo courtesy AIFF Media)