Chennaiyin FC unveiled their first team squad for the 2018-19 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season at a press conference held in Chennai on September 24. The reigning Hero ISL champions have retained twelve players from the successful 2017-18 campaign and promoted Chennaiyin B team players Hendry Antonay, Bedashwor Singh and Zonunmawia to the 25-man squad for their Hero ISL title defence.

The core of last season’s squad has been retained with four foreigners – Raphael Augusto, Mailson Alves, Inigo Calderon and Gregory Nelson – continuing, while Brazilian defender Eli Sabia, Italian midfielder Andrea Orlandi and Palestine forward Carlos Antonio Salom are the new foreign additions.

There is a good mix of youth and experience with ten of the domestic contingent being U-23 players. The key absentee is local boy Dhanpal Ganesh who is set to miss a major part of the season due to a knee injury.

“We are looking forward to the new season with an objective to create history by becoming the first team to retain the Hero ISL title and put on a good show in our debut AFC Cup campaign,” said a determined John Gregory ahead of his side’s Hero ISL season 5 opener against Bengaluru FC at the Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday, September 30.

Chennaiyin’s pre-season preparations comprised a month in Malaysia followed by 10 days in Goa. They played four friendlies in Malaysia before a double-header against All India Football Federation (AIFF)’s developmental side Indian Arrows in Goa.

Here’s the 25-man squad for the start of the 2018-19 Hero ISL season:

Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh, Sanjiban Ghosh, Nikhil Bernard

Defenders: Mailson Alves (Brazil), Eli Sabia (Brazil), Inigo Calderon (Spain), Jerry Lalrinzuala, Tondonba Singh, Laldinliana Renthlei, Zohmingliana Ralte, Hendry Antonay

Midfielders: Raphael Augusto (Brazil), Gregory Nelson (The Netherlands), Andrea Orlandi (Italy), Francisco Fernandes, Thoi Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Germanpreet Singh, Sinivasan Pandiyan, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Bedashwor Singh, Zonunmawia

Forwards: Jeje Lalpekhlua, Mohammed Rafi, Carlos Antonio Salom (Palestine)