"Nobody has been excluded" - Igor Stimac on his team selection ahead of India's friendlies in Vietnam

The Indian men's national team on Wednesday, September 21, named their 23-man squad for the upcoming clash against Vietnam and Singapore in the Hung Thinh Friendly Football Tournament.

Despite a few notable absentees from the squad, head coach Igor Stimac underlined that while his full list consisted of 40 players, he only picked the individuals who were best suited for the upcoming matches.

Stimac told the AIFF media team:

"Nobody has been excluded. My actual list contains of 40 players, and it is just because of the situation of the tournament that I can only choose 23 of them. My technical staff and I felt that this set of players was the best suited and most compatible for the two upcoming matches."

The 55-year-old stressed that he has not closed the doors on any of the players who aren't currently on the national team. The Blue Tigres will play two matches in Vietnam against the hosts and Singapore. Stimac added:

"This is how we learn more about the players. Of course, I had meetings with all my players before this, and I had communicated to them as to why we are going with this current list. Everyone who is not on the list knows why he aren’t on it. But everyone is preparing for March."

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"Need to make sure that nobody gets injured" - India gaffer Igor Stimac ahead of the clash against Vietnam and Singapore

The Durand Cup has just concluded and the Indian Super League (ISL) is inching towards its start. Hence, Stimac stressed that the players are still in a pre-season mood and need to be careful about injuries.

With the AFC Asian Cup next year, the last thing the Blue Tigers need is injury to their crucial players. Stimac averred:

“It’s a good challenge for us, though we need to make sure that we combine and rotate our players in a proper way. We need to make sure that nobody gets injured, because most of the players we have are still in pre-season mode, and they need to be nurtured. We need to be careful because we are facing two sides that are in full swing competitions.”

The last few matches have given India enough momentum and confidence going into the upcoming clashes. In June, India beat Cambodia, Afghanistan and Hong Kong in consecutive matches to book a berth in the continental tournament next year.

The national team boss said in this regard:

“With regards to the momentum that we have after the June AFC Asian Cup Qaulifiers, the optimism is high and the positiveness which currently surrounds the team should only bode well for us.”

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India's 23-man squad for the friendlies against Vietnam and Singapore

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, and Amrinder Singh.

Defenders: Sandesh Jhingan, Roshan Singh Naorem, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, and Narender Gahlot.

Midfielders: Liston Colaco, Muhammed Ashique Kuruniyan, Vikram Partap Singh, Udanta Singh Kumam, Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Yasir Mohammad, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Sahal Abdul Samad, Rahul KP, and Lallianzuala Chhangte.

Forwards: Sunil Chhetri and Ishan Pandita.