I-League 2017: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Nongdamba Naorem, Anwar Ali to miss Indian Arrows' clash against Minerva Punjab

What's the story?

In what will be a huge blow for their hopes, Indian Arrows are set to miss the services of Jeakson Singh, Anwar Ali and Nongdamba Naorem for their upcoming clash against Minerva Punjab in their upcoming I-League fixture.

In case you didn't know...

The Indian Arrows, a team which is participating in the 2017/18 season of the I-League, comprises of the players who represented India at the U17 World Cup. The main aim of the team is to give the young players additional game time.

The heart of the matter

As per the contractual obligation and loan transfers rules between the Minerva Punjab FC and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which owns the Indian Arrows team, the clause disallows the likes of Jeakson, Anwar and Nong from taking to the field against their old club.

Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj tweeted about the unavailability of the three Indian Arrows' star in their match against his side.

Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, the historic goal scorer for India at the U17 World Cup, joined the Indian Arrows post the World Cup from the Minerva squad. According to the prevailing regulations, he will not feature in the game against Minerva Punjab, as he has been loaned out from the now Ludhiana-based side to the Arrows.

Nongdamba Naorem's case is similar. Right after the U17 World Cup, where he played for India, Naorem also moved to the Indian Arrows on a loan and made his debut for the team against Chennai City. The lanky central defender Anwar Ali will also miss out against Minerva, having also been loaned out from the club.

While the Arrows will definitely miss the services of the three youngsters, Minerva FC will hope that their Bhutanese winger Chencho Gyeltshen continues his goal-scoring form that he had shown in the previous game against NEROCA FC.

What's next?

Minerva Punjab FC and the Indian Arrows will face off against each other at the Bambolim Stadium on Tuesday. While the Arrows had won their opening encounter against Chennai, Minerva FC registered a victory and a draw apiece from their first two games.

Author's take

Even though the Arrows possess quality from all over India, Minerva Punjab, who are currently second in the league, cannot be taken lightly. The battle between the two sides could indeed provide some unmatched entertainment.