India will face Bangladesh in their next game in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Doha. The match becomes a must-win game for the Blue Tigers in order to achieve a 3rd round qualification to the AFC Asian Cup in 2023. Bangladesh on the other hand will also come all guns blazing, chasing the same goal. Football Monk takes a look at how India could line up against Bangladesh on Monday.
Goalkeeper: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Gurpreet is one of India’s finest goalkeepers of this generation and his last performance against Qatar proves it. He stood tall as a wall against the Qatar, denying the scoreline to get embarrassing. His skills and commitment even earned praise from the opposition camp.
Gurpreet will continue to guard the Indian fort against Bangladesh as well. His presence will also help boost the confidence levels of Indian defenders.
Right Back: Pritam Kotal
Pritam Kotal also had a great game against Qatar and is expected to hold his position at right back, especially after Rahul Bheke getting a red card. Pritam’s game revolves around no-nonsense defending and closing down the spaces which will be very helpful against a quick team like Bangladesh. His experience will be a valuable asset for the team.
Centre-Back: Sandesh Jhingan
Sandesh is expected to form the heart of the Indian defence against the Bengal tigers. He has been one of the best defenders for the country over the years and also had a great game against the Asian champs. His agility and solid physique add to the strength of the Indian defence.
Centre-Back: Chinglensana Singh
Chinglensana Singh had an excellent season with Hyderabad FC in 2020-21. He was one of the most disciplined defenders in the league and also earned his maiden national team call-up by virtue of his performance. We expect Singh to pair up with Jhingan to form the centre-back duo for India. His speed will come in handy against Bangladesh who likes to play on the counter.
Left Back: Akash Mishra
Akash Mishra was one of the most impressive youngsters in the latest edition of the ISL. Being fast-paced, he can quickly convert defence into attack with his swift pace and passing abilities. Mishra came on as a substitute against Qatar and we expect him to start for India against Bangladesh. Stimac would love to have someone who can quickly breaks forward and Akash is the best option he has for that role at the left-back position.
Right Attacking Midfielder: Sahal Abdul Samad
Sahal Abdul Samad is one of the most skillful midfielders. Thus, it is not tough for Stimac to pick him in a match where he needs goals. He was on the pitch for only six minutes against Qatar but made his presence felt.
Thus, Sahal is expected to start the game against Bangladesh and his creativity in the midfield will prove vital for the forwards.
Central Midfielder: Glan Martins
Glan Martins made his debut against Qatar and what a debut it was! What makes Glan special is his quick thinking and hardworking skills which often go unnoticed. Glan will fit perfectly in the heart of the midfield for India against Bangladesh. His experience in the AFC Champions League will prove vital in India’s quest for the three points.
Left Attacking Midfielder: Brandon Fernandes
Brandon has been in red-hot form in the recently-concluded AFC Champions League and ISL. Surprisingly, Brandon was not used in India’s last game against Qatar. Brandon has assisted all the goals for India so far in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and hence he becomes an important part of the team. We expect the Goan to make a comeback in the blue colours against Bangladesh.
Right Winger: Manvir Singh
Manvir is one of the most in-form players in the nation right now. The ATKMB forward came close to scoring twice against Qatar, but unfortunately failed to convert the chances. Singh will be desperate to get into the scoresheet this time and guide India to glory against Bangladesh.
Centre Forward: Sunil Chhetri
The greatest modern-day footballer for India, Sunil Chhetri will lead the attack against Bangladesh. Every time India needed goals, Sunil came to the rescue. His experience is the greatest asset for the national team. Last time when India faced similar opposition, Sunil Chhetri came close to scoring on several occasions but failed. Thus, he will look forward not to repeat the same mistakes again.
Left Winger: Ashique Kuruniyan
The toughest decision Stimac has to make will be for the left-wing position. With both Ashique Kuruniyan and Bipin Singh in good form, the battle for the position gets tougher. But, we believe the Bengaluru FC winger has an upper hand over Bipin for the next game.
Blessed with a golden left foot, Ashique can snatch away the game from the opposition on his day. Although Ashique played at a withdrawn role in the last game, his skills were on display against Qatar and he was impressive with his passing and dribbling. We expect him to play further up the pitch this time against the Bengal Tigers.
Follow Football Monk on Instagram and join our community on Telegram.