Chennaiyin FC on Saturday announced a 29-member squad for the 2023-24 Indian Super League season.
“Our model at Chennaiyin is different from those big spenders. We obviously invest where we can, but it’s more in young players. And I’ve been known to give young players a chance and develop young Indians and that’s what I’ll continue to do. We’ve got a good mix,” Chennaiyin head coach Owen Coyle said ahead of the club’s opening match of the season against Odisha FC, scheduled to be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar today.
Podcast: Coyle on finding the balance between national and club football, Chennaiyin, ISL 10 and more
The club also named a six-man leadership group — Jordan Murray, Ryan Edwards, Aakash Sangwan, Lazar Cirkovic, Rafael Crivellaro and Rahim Ali — who will share the captaincy role,
The two-time champion will begin its campaign with two away matches — Odisha FC (today) and NorthEast United FC (September 29) — before it returns home to host Mohun Bagan Super Giant FC on October 7.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Samik Mitra, Debjit Majumder, Prateek Kumar Singh, Mohanraj K
Defenders: Ankit Mukherjee, Ryan Edwards Lazar Cirkovic, Ajith Kumar, Bikash Yumnam, Bijay Chhetri, Aakash Sangwan, Sarthak Golui, Sachu Siby and RS Preyarhanjan
Midfielders: Jiteshwor Singh, Cristian Battocchio, Mohammed Rafique, Ayush Adhikari, Rafael Crivellaro, Ninthoi Meetei, Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Sourav Das, Farukh Choudhary and Nesta JP Colin
Forwards: Vincy Barretto, Rahim Ali, Irfan Yadwad, Jordan Murray and Connor Shields
