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The All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) released a list of 34 players who will be called for the national team camp ahead of India's double friendly against Oman and Syria, as well as the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in UAE.
ALSO READ: Big misses in India's 34-man squad for Asian Cup
Salam Ranjan Singh is the only I-League player to make the cut, showing Stephen Constantine's negligence towards India's premier football competition. The regulars for the Indian team like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua, and Sandesh Jhingan have retained their positions. However, a lot of underperforming players from the Indian Super League (ISL) like Sumeet Passi, Farukh Choudhary, Balwant Singh, and Bikash Jairu have also made the cut.
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It is natural for the fans to be angry at Stephen Constantine as a handful of fan-favourite players failed to book their tickets to UAE. We, at Sportskeeda, have compiled a playing 11 out of those players. Without any further ado, here is the Unpicked Indian XI for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Honourable Mentions
#1 Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem (Kerala Blasters)
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem announced his arrival in the Indian football scene with a string of terrific saves at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The youngster had a trial with Motherwell SC, but couldn't negotiate a contract.
The Manipuri played 6 matches for Kerala Blasters and earned 2 clean sheets. He gets an honourable mention in our Unpicked XI.
#2 Ricky Lallawmawma (ATK)
Ricky Lallawmawma has made 10 appearances out of the 11 games that ATK have played so far. He has 33 tackles, 21 interceptions, 44 clearances, and 18 blocks to his credit. The 27-year-old's contribution in the attacking front can't be underestimated as he has 12 crosses and 4 shots to his name.
He too is an honourable mention in our Unpicked XI.
#3 Wayne Vaz (Churchill Brothers)
Wayne Vaz is another right back Stephen Constantine has forgotten to include in his list. The 24-year-old managed to keep the dangerous Sony Norde in check in their game against Mohun Bagan and also enjoys a formidable partnership with Israel Gurung while attacking.
He gets an honourable mention in our Unpicked XI.
#4 Isaac Vanmalsawma (Chennaiyin FC)
Isaac Vanmalsawma has 30 crosses and 7 shots from the 679 minutes he played. Moreover, he has also found the back of the net once and assisted once.
The 22-year-old Chennaiyin winger gets an honourable mention in our Unpicked XI.
Goalkeeper - Mohammad Nawaz (FC Goa)
Not many teams in the world hand their goalkeeping gloves to an 18-year-old. After a couple of horrendous mistakes in the earlier stages of the ISL, Mohammad Nawaz has grown leaps and bounds. He has gained the composure a goalkeeper requires and has made 30 saves in 10 matches.
FC Goa like to play an attacking brand of football, leaving pockets of space behind. If it weren't for the brilliance of Nawaz, the Gaurs could have conceded more than 16 goals.
Left Back - Rahul Bheke (Bengaluru FC)
Rahul Bheke is a right-back by trade. But, he is the most versatile player in the league and has played in all the positions of the back-four. Defensively solid and offensively fearless, the 28-year-old has 55 clearances, 15 blocks, 1 assist, and 2 goals to his name from the 10 goals he has played.
The defender was voted as the Fans' Player of the Month in November but failed to make Constantine's list.
Centre Back - Joyner Laurenco (Mumbai City FC)
Joyner Lourenco wasn't supposed to be representing Mumbai City FC at the Indian Super League. An untimely injury to Davinder Singh ruled him out of the entire season and, Jorge Costa signed him. The 27-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in 7 games and has made 45 clearances, 19 blocks, 10 interceptions, and 21 tackles.
The defender represented India in the 2014 Asian Games and could have been handed his senior team debut in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Till then, he gets a spot in out Unpicked XI.
Centre Back - Gaurav Bora (Chennai City FC)
Chennai City FC has done a brilliant job in molding the Indian youngsters of their team. Most of the I-League clubs resort to a centre-back pairing of two foreigners as their physicality could come handy in vital situations. But, Akbar Nawas has entrusted Gaurav Bora to partner Roberto Eslava in the heart of the defence and, he hasn't disappointed the coach.
Gaurav Bora initially played as a midfielder in the B team of Pune City in the I-League 2nd Division. Having transitioned successfully into a centre-back, the 20-year-old failed to make the cut for UAE. Till then, he gets a spot in the Unpicked XI.
Right Back - Edwin Vanspaul (Chennai City FC)
Another player who has made the transition into a new playing position smoothly under Akbar Nawas is Edwin Vanspaul. The Tamil Nadu native played as a winger for Chennai City FC last season and is playing at the right-back position this season.
As expected from a full-back, he is defensively and offensively alarm. The 26-year-old has the highest percentage of successful attacks in the I-League and his partnership with Romario in the right wing is difficult for the oppositions to contain.
Left Attacking Midfielder - Michael Soosairaj (Jamshedpur FC)
Michael Soosairaj, another Tamilian, bagged the title of the 'Best Midfielder in the I-League' last season while playing for Chennai City FC, and this season, he is performing terrifically for Jamshedpur FC. The 24-year-old has 3 goals, 13 shots, and 13 crosses from 10 matches from the 682 minutes he played.
But, the national team coach Stephen Constantine turned a blind eye to his performance and has excluded him. Till then, he gets a spot in the Unpicked XI.
Central Defensive Midfielder - Harmanjot Singh Khabra (Bengaluru FC)
Harmanjot Singh Khabra has represented India twice - against Guam and Iran in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - and was dropped thereafter. This season, he has rejuvenated himself in the Bengaluru FC setup and has provided 3 assists in 10 matches.
Central Defensive Midfielder - Lenny Rodrigues (FC Goa)
What Khabra does for Bengaluru, Lenny Rodrigues does successfully for FC Goa, helping the team build the attack from the back. The 31-year-old has made 22 appearances for the senior team already and his experience will be missed at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The midfielder has a staggering passing accuracy of 85.56% and average passes of 57.5 to his name.
One vital weakness of the Indian senior team is the inability of the midfielders to hold the ball. Had Lenny Rodrigues been in the squad, the Indian team could have gained the composure they are missing.
Central Attacking Midfielder - Seiminlen Doungel (Kerala Blasters)
Kerala Blasters are winless in 10 games, drawing six in the process. If it weren't for the brilliance of Seiminlen Doungel, the Yellow Brigade would have been on the losing side on all the occasions. The 24-year-old has mainly made the appearances from the bench and his pace is difficult for the oppositions to contain.
With 3 assists and 1 goal to his name, the 24-year-old failed to make it to the final list of Stephen Constantine. Till then, he gets a spot in the Unpicked XI.
Right Winger - Thoi Singh (Chennaiyin FC)
Despite not being a striker, Thoi Singh is second on the Indian goalscorers' list only after Sunil Chhetri. The 28-year-old is the most offensively astute player of the side, scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist in the 682 minutes he has been on the pitch.
The Manipuri has also 15 shots and 20 crosses to his name and is known for being in the right place at the right time. However, he has been overlooked by Stephen Constantine and gets a spot in the Unpicked XI.
Centre Forward- Jobby Justin (East Bengal)
Stephen Constantine had reiterated in the past that India lacks a convincing striker up front. The managers look forward to signing foreign strikers as their physicality is a bonus. Despite not having the physicality on his side, a high-profile side like East Bengal entrusted him to lead the pack.
The Keralite didn't disappoint them as he has four goals and two assists to his name from 7 matches. But, it wasn't enough to impress Stephen Constantine, and he gets a spot in our Unpicked XI.
Here is Sportskeeda's unpicked XI:
