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ISL 2021-22 Chennaiyin FC Team Preview: Squad, Fixtures, Key Players, Strength, Weakness, Predictions

The Marina Machans were one of the teams who were very active in the pre-season transfer window with new coach Bozidar Bandovic making his intentions pretty clear.

Anirudh Thapa

Bengaluru, November 16: A new captain and coach, many new fresh legs and some big pre-season signings. It just cannot get bigger than this for the Chennaiyin FC who eye their third Indian Super League (ISL) title.

The Marina Machans were one of the teams who were very active in the pre-season transfer window with new coach Bozidar Bandovic making his intentions pretty clear.

The well-travelled Montenegrin coach is aware of the challenges awaiting the team, which has one of the huge fan bases among ISL clubs.

And with India international Anirudh Thapa being handed over the captain's armband, Chennai, who finished a disappointing eighth in the ISL table previous season, will be looking to pull things back this time around.

The 2021-22 ISL season which kicks off on Friday (November 19) with ATK Mohun Bagan taking on Kerala Blasters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.

The new season will usher in a big change which will see an increase in the number of Indian players in the starting XI with each club now mandated to have a minimum of seven Indian players on the field at any point in time.

Two-time champions Chennaiyin FC begin their ISL campaign with a match against Hyderabad FC on November 23 at the Bambolin Athletic Stadium.

Strengths

Strengths

An ability to fight against all odds has always Chennaiyin's major strength. The way they fought back in the 2019-20 season where they entered the final after languishing at the bottom of the table, being a pointer in the case.

In new skipper Thapa, they have the man for all seasons and if he can combine well with the new recruits, Chennaiyin FC will definitely be a force to be reckoned with this time.

Weakness

Weakness

Defensive frailties has been Chennaiyin FC's Achilles Heel for years and no wonder the team concedes goals in a bulk.

The earlier Bandovic addresses it the better for the team. Frequent changes at the helm has not helped their cause either. With a seasoned pro like Bandovic in charge of the team now, things should improve for sure. The Montenegrin coach has it in him to take the team forward.

Squad

Squad

Chennaiyin FC spend big and were very busy during the summer transfer window. Thapa will hoping to use his international experience to guide the team, which is a good blend of youth and experience.

FULL SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Samik Mitra, Debjit Majumder, Devansh Dabas.

Defenders: Reagan Singh, Salam Ranjan Singh, Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Narayan Das, Deepak Devrani, Davinder Singh, Slavko Damjanovic, Balaji Ganesan.

Midfielders: Ninthoinganba Meetei, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rafael Crivellaro, Ariel Borysiuk, Anirudh Thapa, Germanpreet Singh, Aman Chetri, Melroy Assisi, Subhadip Majhi.

Forwards: Johnson Mathews, Rahim Ali, Jobby Justin, Mirlan Murzaev, Suhail Pasha, Vladimir Koman, Lukasz Gikiewicz.

Key players, prediction and fixtures

Key players, prediction and fixtures

Hungarian Vladirmir Koman, who was handpicked by Bandovic will be a key player to watch out for. He can form a lethal combination upfront with Suhail Pasha.

Thapa and Lallianzuala Chhangte can prop up the midfield well.

In seven editions, Chennaiyin FC have made it to the play-off stage four times, while going the distance two times. One of the most consistent teams in ISL, Marina Machans will fancy their play-off chance this time.

Fixtures (All matches 7.30pm IST)

Nov 23: Hyderabad FC vs Chennaiyin FC

Nov 29: NortthEast United FC vs Chennaiyin FC

Dec 3: Chennaiyin FC vs SC East Bengal

Dec 11: ATK Mohun Bagan vs Chennaiyin FC

Dec 15: Mumbai City FC vs Chennaiyin FC

Dec 18: Chennaiyin Fc vs Odisha

Dec 22: Chennaiyin FC vs Kerala Blasters

Dec 30: Chennaiyin FC vs Bengaluru FC

Jan 2: Jamshedpur FC vs Chennaiyin FC

Jan 8: FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC

Story first published: Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 9:03 [IST]
Other articles published on Nov 17, 2021