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NorthEast United head coach Gerard Nus has achieved a lot in his illustrious career but has effectively served as manager for only two terms in his 13-year managerial career so far.

He started coaching in his early teens, completed his UEFA Pro Licence at the age 22, and went on to join Liverpool FC's football academy in 2007 before being part of the backroom staff under then Reds' gaffer Rafael Benitez as a conditioning coach. 

Sandwiched between his role as the head of academy coaching at Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Championship where he had the privilege of working closely with then first-team coach Gustavo Poyet, Nus served as an assistant at Chunnam Dragons in the K-League and A-League side Melbourne Heart.

The former Liverpool U-21 coach also famously worked under Avram Grant as an assistant and a video analyst as Ghana reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015 and the semi-final stage of the same competition in 2017.

However, as head coach, there is not much of a reference other than leading Rayo Oklahoma City in 2016 and Irtysh Pavlodar of the Kazakhstan Premier League in 2017. At Rayo OKC, Nus managed to go on a 10-game unbeaten run with a five-match winning streak to reach the semi-finals of the North America Soccer League (NASL) Championship. But his spell at Irtysh was a rather short one to take any note of. 

Nus has also worked with Elche CF and last held a post of Methodology Technical Director of AFC Eskilstuna in Allsvenskan - the Swedish top division - before packing his bags for India.

While NorthEast United may have landed a candidate who can provide expertise in the development of the plentiful youth talent available at the club, Nus has a task at his hand to mastermind a run to the play-offs especially since the team is coming off a very disappointing season where they finished second from bottom. 

Nus succeeds Robert Jarni at a club that has had a different head coach at the helm for each of the past six seasons. And apart from Eelco Schattorie, no coach has managed to take the Highlanders to the play-offs. 

Cesar Farias and Nelo Vingada are otherwise the only two managers at the club who got close to the play-offs with a fifth-place finish in 2015 and 2016 respectively. NorthEast is not amongst the top spenders in the league but they do have good talent at their disposal. 

Nus believes in his capabilities and in his squad, as he told Goal in an interview before the start of the pre-season. "I am happy with the roster that we have and the new players that we are bringing. We have a solid mix of experienced and young players. We want to build something special.

"I am aware of the talent that this region has. I am a big believer in providing opportunities to the players that work hard and I do not think it is difficult to get young players into the first team; it all comes down to finding the right time and giving them the confidence that they deserve."

NorthEast United have made interesting moves in the transfer market for Indian players including Ashutosh Mehta, Ponif Vaz, Gurjinder Kumar, Lalkhawpuimawia, Rochharzela, PM Britto, Sanjiban Ghosh, VP Suhair and Mashoor Shereef. In the foreign players' department, the club has only retained Federico Gallego and gone in for six new recruits. 

It all boils down to whether Nus manages to extract the very best from this squad. The youngest manager in the league has his task cut out. 

With the dust still settling on Nigeria’s shocking collapse against Sierra Leone on Friday, it feels like an inappropriate time to present a case for Anthony Nwakaeme.

The Super Eagles scored four against the Leone Stars before contriving to draw 4-4, so the problem didn’t appear to be the forward line that netted four in the opening half-hour, but the backline that allowed cheap goals and a midfield pairing that looked dead on their feet as the visitors rallied late on.

Many will scoff at the idea of having the Trabzonspor wide attacker in the side, largely due to the presence of a plethora of options in his position. Alex Iwobi played there in a changed 4-4-2 line-up, although Gernot Rohr has tended to utilise Samuel Kalu, Moses Simon and Ahmed Musa down that side in the last two years or thereabouts.

The latter, now captain of Nigeria since Mikel John Obi’s retirement, was played along with Victor Osimhen on Friday and seemed out of sorts. The skipper’s touch was a tad heavy at times, leading to the breakdown of promising moves or slowing down the team’s progress upfield.

For one, it was really odd that the German tactician included the unattached Musa in his squad for the double-header vs Sierra Leone, a decision followed by the strange choice to play the 28-year-old from the off.

With Kelechi Iheanacho in the squad, the ex-Bayern Munich player opted to start the former CSKA Moscow attacker along with Napoli’s record signing despite the skipper’s recent lack of match action as well as Iheanacho being the better fit to play as the second striker.

While Kalu wasn’t included in November’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, the 23-year-old Bordeaux winger has largely become a favourite of the Nigeria coach, regardless of form or appearances for the Ligue 1 club.

As for Simon, the Nantes attacker has mostly played second fiddle since Rohr’s appointment. Although his all-round contribution to the team means his continued inclusion in the coach’s selection may not be scrutinised, whereas Kalu’s presence and especially Musa’s prompt criticism of the man at the helm.

Given the aforementioned context, maybe a case for the neglected Nwakaeme can now be presented...again.

Indeed, little attention has been placed on the Trabzonspor forward in the last year or thereabouts despite his relative brilliance for Black Sea Storm since joining in 2018.

An amazing maiden season in Turkey saw the arrival from Hapoel Be'er Sheva hit 10 goals and as many assists in 18/19 before beating his goals tally by one last term. His assists number dropped by three and statistics showed he fashioned out fewer shooting opportunities and clear-cut chances for teammates.

Still, Nwakaeme sat fourth in the entire Super Lig for non-penalty goals and assists per 90 going into the final weeks of the season. He eventually finished in 11th spot after a late team collapse which saw the Trabzon outfit win two of their last seven to end four points behind champions Istanbul Basaksehir.

Be that as it may, his influence throughout 19/20 meant he was undoubtedly the side’s most important player behind Alexander Sorloth, who netted a staggering 24 and set up another eight.

The Norwegian’s sale to Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig has severely blunted Trabzonspor and Benik Afobe hasn’t quite led the line as brilliantly as the towering frontman did last term, despite scoring a respectable three goals in seven appearances.

The issues plaguing Eddie Newton, however, run even deeper. Two of the club's supporting cast from last year in Jose Sosa — contributor of 17 goals and assists — and Guilherme — 12 G+A — have moved to Fenerbahce and Goztepe respectively.

That leaves Ghana attacker, Caleb Ekuban as the only star besides Nwakaeme from last year’s top five goal contributors still at the club, but the West African’s tally of nine G+A pales in comparison to Sorloth (32), Nwakaeme and Sosa (17), and Guilherme (12).

While the Nigerian has mostly been efficient on average this term, the quality around him has significantly declined at both ends of the pitch, leaving Trabzonspor in 17th, with one win from their opening eight games.

Despite leading the team’s goal contributions table with four in six games, the 31-year-old can’t lead a one-man carry job for Newton, leading to a sharp drop off having contended for the title in each of the last two seasons.

0.71 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 places the inside forward 10th in the Turkish top flight with a slightly better return than last year’s 0.68, although it does come from a significantly smaller sample size of just six games so far.

Indeed, Nwakaeme could still pull decent to good numbers for Trabzonspor this season but the team’s general decline means a third shot at the title may be out of reach.

As for a return to the national team, it remains to be seen whether Rohr would keep ignoring the frontman if he has another prolific season in Turkey. The forward has deserved another shot in the side since an average performance in a dead rubber game with Algeria in 2017, but the German hasn’t granted another opportunity.

It leaves many wondering whether there’s any sort of meritocracy to the coach’s selections, especially as Nwakaeme has been mostly consistent in the last two seasons in Turkey and three previously in Israel.

After being kicked to the curb in the last two seasons, the forward would look to be third-time lucky as he looks to banish memories of that ill-fated game in Constantine despite the aforementioned challenges facing him in Trabzon.

Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana defender Innocent Maela is expected to be ruled out of Monday’s 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium through injury.

This is according to a statement on the South African Football Association’s website.

“Of the travelling team, only Innocent Maela sat out training on Sunday, 15 November 2020 suffering from a slight knock he received in the Durban match on Friday and is likely to sit out on this encounter.”

Maela started and completed Friday night’s match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, where Bafana ran out 2-0 winners thanks to a penalty from Percy Tau and a late goal by substitute Bongani Zungu.

The Safa statement also revealed who could replace Maela at left-back, as well as announcing that the Scotland-based Zungu will play from the start:

“Lyle Lakay is expected to be drafted in his place while Zungu who had a blinder of a game soon after coming on during Friday’s match, is set to earn a starting berth.”

Zungu came off the bench on Friday in Durban and injected intensity into the attack before capping off an excellent performance with a 90th minute headed goal.

His presence could perhaps come at the expense of Lebogang Manyama, in what would be a like-for-like swap. There are several others though, including Themba Zwane, Kamohelo Mokotjo and Keagan Dolly who could potentially make way; Tau and Dean Furman would surely be guaranteed starters after impressing on Friday.

Mamelodi Sundowns left-back Lakay will offer Bafana plenty in an attacking sense down the left flank.

The Cape Town-born Lakay has actually played a large portion of his career as a left-winger.

He’s been in sparkling form for the Brazilians at full-back though and will be keen to bomb forward on every possible occasion in Port Elizabeth.

Zungu meanwhile will add thrust and invention from midfield to the Bafana attack and should ensure that South Africa are more proactive than they were in the first half in Durban last Friday, when not a single effort was on target.

Monday’s match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium kicks off at 3 pm.

As FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando gears up for the start of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season, there is bound the shadow cast by the achievements of former coach Sergio Lobera over his team. 

Ahmed Jahouh, Hugo Boumous, Mourtada Fall and Mandar Rao Dessai followed Lobera to Mumbai City FC besides the exits of regular starters such as Jackichand Singh (Jamshedpur FC) and record-breaking striker Ferran Corominas (Atletico Beleares). Meanwhile, Fall's defensive pairing in Carlos Pena decided to hang up his boots.

Add to it, the Gaurs have been handed a couple of tough fixtures right at the beginning, with their task cut out against a nemesis in Bengaluru FC (Goa have suffered five losses and a draw in the last six matches against the Blues) in the opener before an interesting reunion against Mumbai City next.

Although Ferrando wouldn't necessarily be perturbed about the games in store, getting the team in sync with his tactical elements given the number of new entrants including five new foreigners will be the Spaniard tactician's first major hurdle.

The new foreign signings come in the form of defenders Ivan Gonzalez and James Donachie, midfielders Alberto Noguera and Jorge Ortiz, and forward Igor Angulo - all of whom have impressive curricula vitae (CV).

One glance of the statistics from last season shows how Goa dominated the leagues stages and that they were heavily dependent on the players who made an exit in the summer. In the attacking department, out of the 51 goals, 35 of them were scored by Corominas (14), Boumous (11), Jackichand (5) and Fall (5).

Of course, the team's style plays a role behind those strikes. But there are significant contributors who are no longer a part of the team - former players Jahouh (1,636), Pena (1,295) and Fall (1,202) were among the top seven in the league when it comes to minutes. The same goes for passes, with the club recording the best numbers among all teams and where again you see the names of Jahouh (1,279), Pena (1,053) and Fall (836) pop up in the top 10 players in that respect.

"We are working a lot on the tactical part followed by physical conditioning. We have to try to find the best system. Tactically, it is important to know how to respond to what happens during the course of a game. Of course, set -pieces are very important. Our focus is to find out what happens with the ball and without the ball and in other situations as well," Ferrando recently stated. 

Boumous, in particular, will be a huge loss for Goa. The Frenchman was also involved in 10 assists - a record highest in a single ISL season - and was awarded the ISL Winning Pass of the League and Hero of the League for his impeccable performances last season.

Another huge loss will be the silent mainstay over the past three terms - Jahouh. He has made a record number of tackles, passes and touches in the league's history.

Other than foreigners, Ferrando also has a lot of youngsters infused in the first-team squad after the likes of Saviour Gama and Princeton Rebello announced themselves on the big stage last season. The pre-season friendlies have already seen new signings such as Sanson Pereira, Makan Chothe and Phrangki Buam already featuring during the pre-season friendlies.

"I'm not thinking about the new or inexperienced played. I am trying to find the best first XI. If a player understands the tactical part, he is good to play. It is very important to prepare a plan B with the medical staff because I don't know if all the players will be ready for every game," the 39-year-old coach said about the fixtures coming thick and fast.

Indian players such as Ishan Pandita, Redeem Tlang and Alexander Romario Jesuraj returning from his loan stint from Mohun Bagan also provide depth to the squad. 

However, the most important factor may always remain that fluidity the side showcased under Lobera. Given that only one foreigner - Edu Bedia - has been retained from the regular season winning combination, it will be interesting to see whether the club will be able to retain that fluidity. It must be noted that the likes of Jahouh, Boumous and Coro took control of the side's game play last season. 

Relying on the experience of campaigners such as Brandon Fernandes, Seriton Fernandes and Lenny Rodrigues will also prove pivotal for the Goans, also looking for continuity in the good form of the likes of Mohammad Nawaz in goal besides requiring someone like Mohamed Ali to step up his game.

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) is set to kick off on November 20, with fixtures of the opening 11 rounds announced so far.

In the opener of this year's Indian top flight, defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan have been pitted against Kerala Blasters at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.

The second match of the season will see NorthEast United play Mumbai City at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on November 21 while last season's League Shield winners FC Goa will be up against Bengaluru FC at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (PJN) Stadium in Fatorda the following day.

On November 23, Odisha FC will take on Hyderabad FC in their season opener and November 24 will be special for Owen Coyle as his Jamshedpur FC will open their campaign against his former team Chennaiyin FC. 

Meanwhile, new entrants SC East Bengal have a tasty season opener against their arch-rivals ATK Mohun Bagan on November 27, as the Kolkata derby tradition continues.

The entire tournament will be held behind closed doors in Goa, thanks in no small part to the Covid-19 pandemic which means the teams will have to stay in a bio-bubble for the duration of the tournament.
 

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ISL 2020-21: Where to watch, live stream?

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL. The games will be telecast with the option of English and/or Hindi commentary besides other languages over their bouquet of channels.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

Matches may streamed online on Disney+ Hotstar VIP and JioTV, also allowing supporters to catch the replay of matches. The mobile applicatoions are available on Android, iOS, iPad, Android TV and Apple TV.

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Diego Forlan played down the significance of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi staying in La Liga, insisting the league would survive without the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi's future remains an important topic at Barca after he handed in a transfer request following a tumultuous 2019-20 season.

The Barca captain was tipped to join Premier League powerhouse Manchester City before opting to remain in Spain, though he has since been linked to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Inter.

"I wouldn't say it is a gift [Messi finally staying]," former Atletico Madrid forward Forlan, who won the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup during his time in the Spanish capital between 2007 and 2011, told Marca Sport Weekend.

"Obviously, La Liga has grown up thanks to the great players who played in different club. But La Liga is La Liga, and the clubs are very important, and are in the history.

"It is very good he stayed, but they are growing...Leo Messi, Luis [Suarez]...great players, they are changing and La Liga will be still there...It is more than 90 years history of La Liga and big stars have been here, and will be also.

"But at the end, what remains in La Liga, the teams, and that is the important thing."

Messi, who is due to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, has endured an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 season.

The 33-year-old had failed to assist a goal or score from open play in six La Liga matches before last weekend's 5-2 win over Real Betis, when he also netted from the penalty spot.

Messi started that game on the bench – the first time that has happened in the league since September 2019 – but Barca head coach Ronald Koeman revealed he was carrying a knock.

This season, Messi has scored three goals in La Liga and six across all competitions for Barca. Koeman's side have struggled for consistency so far this season and currently sit eighth in Spain's top-flight but with games in hand. 

Barca's next outing after the international break will see them take tackle Atletico Madrid, who are the only side yet to lose in La Liga this season.

Mido has proposed Jose Mourinho as a replacement for under-fire Gareth Southgate as England manager, claiming that the Three Lions need a “manager with strong character”.

Southgate, 50, reached an England low after goals from Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens handed Belgium a 2-0 triumph over his team in Sunday’s Nations League outing.

It was the tactician’s 10th defeat in his 48 matches in charge – equalling the amount of losses suffered by Sven-Goran Eriksson, who lost 10 of his 67 games in the hot seat.

Mido, who played under Southgate for three years at Middlesbrough, believes the former defender lacks the personality to handle a team that boasts so much talent.

“It’s true he always says the right things in the media and probably that’s why he kept his job for so long but believe me, he is stuttering every time things goes wrong at halftime. Players feel his fear!

“I remember him at Middlesbrough, he was scared to death when we were fighting relegation. True, it was his first job, but these things never change.

“If you are scared of losing a football match, you will always be scared of losing a football match!! And players can always feel it.

“England got some top talents in their side, but they need a manager with strong character, someone who can get them to enjoy themselves and play with no fear. I’m sorry but Southgate is not the man to do that.

“My advice to the FA is go and get Mourinho as your head coach and appoint Southgate as the FA chairman. They are both perfect for the job. Get Southgate away from the players as far as you can.”

Middlesbrough were relegated under Southgate’s management in the 2008-09 campaign after embarking on a gloomy run of just one win in 18 games.

Despite this, he was announced as Roy Hodgson’s replacement after enjoying moderate success with the England U21 team, leading them to the European Under-21 Championships in 2015 where they finished bottom of their group in the tournament.

Rohit Danu and Akash Mishra were two bright talents handpicked by Hyderabad FC from the Indian Arrows team that participated in I-League last season. 

Danu grabbed the headlines for the first time when he beat his fellow team-mate Jitendra Singh’s record of being the youngest ever goalscorer in the then top division of Indian football, i.e. I-League. He scored against Aizawl on January 5, 2019, at 16 years, five months and 27 days, beating the previous record of Jitendra, who scored when he was of 16 years, six months and 13 days. 

In his very first season in senior football, he showed that he has it in him what it takes to succeed at the top level. He made 14 appearances and scored four goals. One of them came against Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium, which saw the Mariners faithful applaud his efforts. 

He is comfortable with the ball and is not afraid to take on defenders. He is capable of providing a creative impetus in midfield to a Hyderabad side that struggled in the previous campaign. Not many would doubt his goalscoring abilities and this is a department that the Nizams struggled a lot in the previous season as they could score only 21 goals in 18 matches.  He even got on the scoresheet in a friendly against FC Goa when the two teams locked horns as a part of their preparations for the upcoming season.

Danu will have to be careful of his fitness. An ankle injury forced him to sit out from the final squad of the U17 World Cup. He also missed India U16 side's 2018 AFC U16 Championship qualifiers due to the same injury and subsequently the main event due to AFC norms. In fact, he even had to sit out the first few games of the previous season in I-League as he was on the nursing table. 

In spite of these setbacks, he has always managed to come back stronger and fitter. After regaining match fitness he became an important cog in attack for Arrows and his partnership with Vikram Pratap caught the attention of many experts. 

His fellow teammate Akash Mishra is another player who blossomed last season with Indian Arrows, establishing himself as an undisputed starter and clocked every minute of the campaign. He was part of the U Dream football programme and had training stints at German club Hoffenheim's academy. 

His defensive qualities are well documented and he is a tough customer to deal with for wingers in one-on-one situations. He likes to gallop forward and help in attack but still needs to work on his crossing and decision-making in the final third. 

Mishra has to fight for a spot against Sahil Panwar who is more experienced and has been a part of ISL in the last couple of years. But Hyderabad's lacklustre defensive record in the last edition might force coach Manuel Marquez to freshen things up a bit at the back.  

To put it in a nutshell, both the youngsters have immense potential to make it big. Now it remains to be seen how they nurture themselves under the guidance of a veteran coach like Marquez. The upcoming season will be a litmus test for their future. 

Paris Saint-Germain need N'Golo Kante and not Lionel Messi to win the Champions League, according to their former midfielder Eric Rabesandratana.

Kante scored the winner in France's recent 1-0 victory over Portugal in the Nations League and has impressed this season for Chelsea after a tough 2019-20 campaign. 

The 29-year-old was linked with a summer exit from Stamford Bridge but ended up staying put and remains a key part of Frank Lampard's side. 

PSG, meanwhile, are reportedly considering a possible move for Lionel Messi - though the player's own father has strongly shut down those suggestions. 

Rabesandratana, who played for PSG from 1997 to 2001, is adamant the French giants should be looking to sign Kante and not Messi if they want to take their squad to the next level. 

"I would like to say that if I were a leader at PSG I would break the bank to sign N'Golo Kante," he told radio station France Bleu.

"He was still huge yesterday. Kante is the player who would allow PSG to win the Champions League. We do not need Messi or anyone else." 

Kante is currently contracted to Chelsea until 2023 and was recently singled out for praise by Lampard after a 4-1 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League. 

"He played about 50 per cent of the games last year and that is a big loss for half the season, a player of his level," Lampard said.

"So I made a big, big step to try to manage his training and games and make sure that we attempt to have him fit and ready for as many games as we can.

"His attributes are incredible, he can play in many positions in the midfield. The energy and ability to win the ball back, but also his ability on the ball, which is sometimes underrated, is amazing. He can play in different roles.

"People always want to talk about that he’s the best defensive midfielder and should be in a deeper role. But he can play in lots of different roles to massive effect and I am pleased he is fit now. We will have to keep managing that to make sure he stays fit, because he is massively important." 

Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat has made a name for himself in just two years of managing Bengaluru FC. Cuadrat who had come as an assistant to Albert Roca in 2016, was appointed the manager of the Blues after Roca parted ways with the club in 2018.

Cuadrat until 2018 had never served a club as their head coach in his whole career but he tasted success on his managerial debut as he guided the South Indian outfit to their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) title in the 2018-19 season.

The Spaniard’s football philosophy is a bit different from his former boss Roca whose teams were more attack-minded. Compared to Roca, Cuadrat is way more pragmatic in his approach to the game.

While Cuadrat’s style might not please the eyes but is extremely effective and more importantly has yielded results for the club. Bengaluru FC, under Roca, had failed to win the I-League and the ISL title in back to back seasons and found success only in the knock-out competitions. Cuadrat won the ISL title in the first year and guided the team to a top-four finish in the second season.

Bengaluru have done exceedingly well when it comes to facing the top four teams in the past two seasons. The Blues have lost one match each in the past two seasons during the league stages, against Mumbai City at home in 2018-19 and against ATK away in the 2019-20 season. This clearly shows Cuadrat’s tactical astuteness against the top teams of the league.

Teams like FC Goa and Odisha FC who played free-flowing attacking football have found it difficult to break Cuadrat’s defensive organisation. Bengaluru FC had conceded just 13 goals last season and had undoubtedly the best defensive record among all the ISL teams.

Another area where Cuadrat specialises in is dead-ball situations. Since his early days as Roca’s assistant, the Spaniard had earned the goodwill of being a set-piece expert. Under Cuadrat,  Bengaluru FC's set-piece record has been impressive. Even after taking charge of the team as their head coach, Cuadrat has continued to focus on set-pieces as an important weapon in his team's arsenal.

No doubt, Cuadrat has played a huge role in Bengaluru FC turning into a balanced, organised and well-oiled unit in the last two seasons. 

This year, Bengaluru FC have made some quality additions to their squad which includes Brazilian forward Cleiton Silva and Norwegian forward Kristian Opseth who last plied his trade in the A-League with Adelaide United in addition to Mohun Bagan's I-League winning versatile footballer Fran Gonzalez.

Despite being a defender or a defensive midfielder, Gonzalez was among the top goal scorers in the I-League last season. He had netted 10 goals out of which majority came from headers from set-piece situations.

With the new additions to the squad this season who perfectly fits into Cuadrat’s style, the Spanish manager is once against expected to weave his magic and bring success to Bengaluru FC.

Antonio Habas has an interesting selection headache as he gears up for ATK Mohun Bagan's Indian Super League (ISL) opener against Kerala Blasters. He faces a 'problem of plenty'. On paper, ATK Mohun Bagan have arguably got the best squad with several quality players vying for a starting berth in each position.  

If Habas chooses to stick to his preferred three-man backline he will most probably go with Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan and Tiri. That means the likes of Sumit Rathi, who was phenomenal in the previous campaign, will have to be content with a spot on the bench. The winner of the 'ISL Emerging Player of the Season' award in 2019-20 has committed his future to the club after signing a five-year deal this summer. But that recognition might not be enough to guarantee a starting spot. 

The fact that a veteran defender like John Johnson has not yet been registered for the competition is another testimony to the squad depth.

In the right-wing-back position, Prabir Das should be the undisputed starter after his heroics last season with Boris Singh and Ankit Mukherjee set to be his understudies. Singh showed potential during his stint with Indian Arrows and has the calibre to fill in the boots of Das if need be. 

Soosairaj was used in the opposite flank by Habas, but with the addition of a natural left-back in Subhasish Bose, the former Chennai City might have to settle for a different position this time. His ball control and dribbling qualities are well known and he would be hoping that he gets to slot in a more advanced role. 

But it will be difficult for Soosairaj to find a slot in midfield as there are other players making a stronger case for themselves. Edu Garcia was in fine form in the previous season and so was Javi Hernandez. Brad Inman has been added to the roster. Whereas, Carl McHugh, who was plagued with injuries in the last season, is fit and gunning on all cylinders in training. Habas prefers to have him in his setup for the stability he brings to the table and therefore is another serious contender for a place in midfield. 

Moreover, players like Pronay Halder and Jayesh Rane adds further strength to the squad and offers Habas many more combinations to try out. Each of these players has proven their mettle and is an asset to any team. They also have the likes Sk Sahil who also had a good season last time around in the I-League with Mohun Bagan. 

In the attacking third, there is little doubt that Roy Krishna will be leading the lines. David Williams will probably join him upfront. Moreover, Manvir Singh is another option upfront, if Habas wants to pack the midfield with his foreign options.  

The sheer quality in the squad means Bagan will have a capable bench. There are players in the team who can come in as a substitute and can change the complexion of any match. 

Moreover, it will instill a spirit of healthy competition in the squad which will mean that all players cannot afford to relax or afford a dip in form. 

The Covid-19 situation also makes matters more complicated for a coach. Although, the league organisers have kept no stone unturned to prevent the virus from playing spoilsport. However, in case the virus makes a presence and any player is indisposed as a result, Bagan can always rely on their squad depth. 

England boss Gareth Southgate has revealed Jordan Henderson was substituted during the Nations League clash against Belgium because of 'tightness' as Liverpool's horror run of injuries worsened.

The Reds skipper was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks as the Three Lions were dumped out of Nations League contention in a 2-0 loss to Belgium at Den Dreef on Sunday.

In his post-match press conference, Southgate confirmed Henderson failed to play the second half because of a fitness issue - but he was not sure of its severity.

"Jordan had a bit of tightness at half time and felt he couldn't carry on," Southgate said.

"We'll have to assess him when we get back."

Losing Henderson would be a big blow to injury-hit Liverpool, who were already reeling from news earlier in the day that Andy Robertson had picked up a hamstring injury in Scotland's win against Serbia on Thursday.

With Henderson missing a significant chunk of Liverpool's pre-season, Jurgen Klopp had carefully managed his captain's game time, even withdrawing him at half-time during last month's Champions League match against Ajax to limit his workload.

The Reds are already missing central defensive pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez to knee injuries, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold already sidelined and doubts over Robertson, Liverpool are facing the prospect of taking on Leicester City after the international break without any of their first-choice back line.

Star attacker Mohamed Salah's coronavirus diagnosis will also rule him out of Sunday's clash against Brendan Rodgers' side - with the Egyptian required to quarantine despite not suffering any symptoms from the illness.

Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are still likely to be absent from Liverpool's midfield, but their engine room is likely to be boosted by the return of Fabinho after the international break.

The Reds are currently sitting third on the Premier League table - one point behind leaders Leicester ahead of this weekend's top-of-the-table clash at Anfield.

Despite sitting in touching distance of first position, Liverpool's 16 conceded goals is the second-most in the division - behind only Leeds and West Brom (17) - with the 7-2 loss to Aston Villa doing significant early damage to their goal difference.

Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from football after a glittering 17-year career across South America and Europe.

The defensive midfielder started his professional career with Argentine giants River Plate in 2003 and spent a year in Brazil with Corinthians before making the move to the Premier League.

Mascherano had a brief spell at West Ham and then three years at Liverpool before he was snapped up by Barcelona, where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career.

After winning five La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns among a host of other trophies in his eight years at Camp Nou, he was lured to Hebei China Fortune.

The 36-year-old returned to Argentina in January this year, reuniting with former national team-mate Jaun Sebastian Veron, who is the club's chairman.

Mascherano has been a regular for the Superliga outfit and was contracted to the club until June 2021, but he has decided to hang up his boots now.

He said at a press conference: "It is time to finish my career because of things that happened to me in recent months, that on a personal level and after having thought about it for all this time, the most correct thing is to finish today.

"I have lived my profession 100 per cent, I gave the best I could and today I find that it has been difficult for me for a while and I do not want to disrespect Estudiantes, who trusted me to return to Argentina, or my colleagues, or this profession.

"It does not have to do with the club or with a result, but with feelings that one is feeling over recent times, which make the illusion that one had of being a footballer fade.

"Post pandemic, I thought that I was going to feel the spark again, but the truth is that I could not. Out of respect for everyone, it is time to step aside and end this race. I didn't want to let time go by.

"I am infinitely grateful to the clubs I played for, the team-mates I had throughout my career and to Estudiantes who gave me the opportunity to come and play in recent times. It was less than I expected, things happened this way and sometimes you don't choose the end.

"I thank [coach Leandro] Desabato, the institution and my colleagues for having put up with me this last time."