Jamshedpur FC have been a part of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) for three seasons now but have fallen short of qualifying for the playoffs in each of those campaigns. They will be eagerly looking forward to making amends by bucking that trend in Hero ISL 2020-21 and have a head coach in Owen Coyle who can help them do so. Coyle’s guidance was instrumental to Chennaiyin FC’s run to the Hero ISL final last season and he will be hoping to have a similar impact with Jamshedpur FC.

Despite losing big players like Sergio Castel, Farukh Choudhary, Noe Acosta, Tiri and Piti, Jamshedpur have done well to assemble a well-balanced squad from defence to attack. The addition of Peter Hartley, who will captain the team this season, and Stephen Eze is certain to beef up their defence, while the acquisitions of Laldinliana Renthlei and Ricky Lallawmawma will strengthen their fullback slots. Furthermore, Jamshedpur also have the likes of Narender Gahlot and Joyner Lourenco in their defensive ranks, indicating the depth of their backline.

Moving to the midfield, Aitor Monroy and Amarjit Singh have been a part of Jamshedpur since last season and will be expected to play their part in the centre of the park. Like their defence, Jamshedpur’s midfield seems pretty stacked with options as well. Alexandre Lima, who has played under Coyle previously, will bring plenty of experience to the middle of the park.

However, Jackichand Singh will be their go-to man from the wide areas. After signing for Jamshedpur from FC Goa ahead of the new campaign, the Indian international will be hoping to build on a fine season with the Gaurs which saw him score five times and provide three assists.

The only new addition to Jamshedpur’s squad that will excite their fans more than Jackichand is frontman Nerijus Valskis. The Lithuanian striker scored 15 goals and won the Hero Golden Boot last season, and he will be eager to replicate that form in front of goal having followed his head coach Coyle from Chennaiyin FC to Jamshedpur Fc. Valskis will be supported by David Grande, who netted once last season, and John Fitzgerald as well as William Lalnunfela.

With plenty of options and lots of squad depth, Coyle is likely to experiment with his line-up and try multiple formations before settling on his best XI. Their squad also has a healthy blend of youthful exuberance and experienced heads – both of which they will require if they want to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the history of the club.

Best Finishes: Fifth in Hero ISL 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Squads:

Goalkeepers: Pawan Kumar, Niraj Kumar, TP Rehenesh, Raj Mahato, Vishal Yadav

Defenders: Narender Gahlot, Joyner Lourenco, Ricky Lallawmawma, Sandip Mandi, Laldinliana Renthlei, Karan Amin, Peter Hartley, Stephen Eze, Subhash Barua, Manash Protim Gogoi

Midfielders: Aitor Monroy, Alexandre Lima, Amarjit Singh, Jackichand Singh, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Mohammad Mobashir, Jitendra Singh, Gaurab, Manisana Singh, Harsha Parui, Gorachand Mamdi, Billu Teli

Forwards: Nerijus Valskis, William Lalnunfela, John Fitzgerald, David Grande, Sapam Kennedy, Bhupender Singh, Aniket Jadhav

Fixtures:

Vs Chennaiyin FC - November 24

Vs Odisha FC - November 29

Vs Hyderabad FC - December 2

Vs ATK Mohun Bagan - December 7

Vs SC East Bengal - December 10

Vs Mumbai City FC - December 14

Vs NorthEast United FC - December 18

Vs FC Goa - December 23

Vs Bengaluru FC - December 28

Vs Kerala Blasters FC - January 10

*Fixtures for Odisha FC announced as of now

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Jamshedpur FC 2020-2021