Jeakson Singh and Anwar Ali won’t be able to play due to long term injuries as India prepares for their crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. The Blue tigers will face Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan in the second round. Igor Stimac, the coach, has selected a 28-man squad for the upcoming games. Unfortunately, the team will be missing key players Jeakson Singh and Anwar Ali due to injuries. The team is currently on a losing streak after going 11 games without a loss this year. India lost their King’s cup matches to Lebanon and Iraq and suffered a 4-2 defeat to Malaysia in the Merdeka Cup.
The absence of these two key players poses a challenge for Stimac, who may have to modify the team’s system. It will be interesting to see how he lines up the team without them. While Stimac usually prefers the 4-2-3-1 system, a 3-4-2-1 configuration may be a better fit without the injured players. Anirudh Thapa, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia Ralte, or Rohit Kumar could play in the midfield. Stimac may opt for different players based on current form and performance.
The absence of Anwar Ali leaves India lacking a defensive presence. Utilizing three centre-backs may be more advantageous given the attacking capabilities of Poojary and Akash Mishra. Subhasish Bose may fit well as the center-back in this situation. The predicted XI for India against Kuwait includes Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Mehtab Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose, Nikhil Poojary, Akash Mishra, Apuia Ralte, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, and Sunil Chhetri.
