How Jamshedpur FC could line up in ISL 2022-23

The Men of Steel will play their first match against Odisha FC on 11th October.

Jamshedpur FC will head into the Indian Super League 2022-23 season as the defending League winners. The club clinched their maiden silverware in the form of League Shield last season after finishing above Hyderabad FC. The feat is really commendable for a club which was introduced in the 2017-18 season. 

But things have changed this time. Coach Owen Coyle and the player of the tournament last season, Greg Stewart, have parted ways with the club. With a new coach and fresh players on board, the club embraces the challenge to defend the title of "Champions of India". 

Having said that, the team has retained the core squad from the previous season. The renewal of players like captain Peter Hartley, Eli Sabia, Jitendra Singh, etc. will be a huge boost for the club. With new additions, the team looks good on paper to say the least. So without any further ado, let's take a look at the expected line-up for Jamshedpur FC in ISL 2022-23.

Goalkeeper: Rehenesh TP

Rehenesh TP has established himself as the most consistent goal keeper over the course of the last two seasons with the Men of Steel. Despite an underwhelming season at Kerala Blasters, Owen Coyle showed trust in him and handed the responsibility under the sticks. Since then, there has been no looking back for the experienced custodian.

New signing Rakshit Dagar will be his substitute for the role. Coach Aidy Boothroyd may rest the proven custodian to test the former Gokulam Kerala player in some matches.

Right Back: Laldinliana Renthlei

Laldinliana Renthlei is the no-brainer choice for the right-back position. That can be said considering both his quality and Jamshedpur FC’s lack of options in that position. In the 20 starts last season, Dinliana received just one yellow card and is yet to concede a penalty after two seasons at the club. This shows the defensive solidarity the player provides on the defensive right side of the pitch. 

Dinliana must be eying the national team spot after missing out last season due to an unfortunate injury. 

Centre Back: Eli Sabia

The Brazilian is all set to continue his stay at Jamshedpur for another season. Big Eli has formed a formidable partnership with captain Peter Hartley and was pivotal for the side winning the League Shield last term. 

The centre-back averaged 3.8 clearances and 1.1 interceptions per game in ISL 2021-22. His towering physicality will play an important role under Aidy Boothroyd.

Centre Back: Peter Hartley

The club captain has established himself as one of the best centre-backs to embrace the league in its history. Peter Hartley is an inspiring figure on the pitch and is an undoubted starter for the team unless he is rested.  With 37 league appearances for the club, Hartley has revived his career since coming to India.

Left Back: Ricky Lallawmawma

Probably the most underrated full back in India, Ricky Lallawmamwa, will start ahead of new signing Muhammed Uvais. Ricky is yet to miss a league game heading into his third season at the club. The full-back is known for his defensive rigidness and has only four yellow cards after 37 starts and 40+ appearances for the club. The experienced defender is expected to create hard time for youngsters Uvais and Sandip Mandi for game time in the left-back position.

Right Midfield: Boris Singh

Boris' career has taken a turn for the better since his arrival at Jamshedpur. The defender has impressed on the flanks, creating constant threats with his pace and quick feet. He played mainly as a right-back in the initial stages of his career and has adapted very well to the new position. The combination of him and Daniel Chima created havoc for defences last season and the coach would not want to break that pair.

Centre Midfield: Germanpreet Singh

We all have seen the importance of a physical defensive midfielder in the style of football Jamshedpur played last season. Aidy, who shares identical philosophy with former coach Owen Coyle is expected to trust Germanpreet for the dirty work in the middle of the park. Singh is a seasoned campaigner in the domestic circuit and could prove to be a steal deal for the club from Jharkhand. However, the return of Wellington Priori may reduce the game time for the player if the tactician decides to go with just one foreign centre-back.

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Centre Midfield: Jitendra Singh

After a lot of speculation regarding his future, Jitendra decided to stay at Jamshedpur FC and continue being the part of the project. After the consistency he has shown in his performances for the club, it is no brainer that he would be one of the first choices for the head coach. Jitendra is quite versatile in midfield and has that street-smart ability. As Singh revealed to Khel Now about the coach’s expectation of more attacking play from him, we might see the youngster getting on the scoresheet as well.

Left Midfield: Ritwik Das

After his heroics in the last season, Ritwik Das has earned the trust of the fans. His stay at the club has created a big buzz among the fans. Despite the return of Farukh Chaudhary and Komal Thatal from injuries, we can expect Ritwik to get the upper hand in the starting of the season (at least for the first few games). The winger possesses a lot of skills in his arsenal and can dribble out of defence with ease. It will be interesting to see how Das fares this season.

Second Striker: Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, the former Arsenal youth team captain, is the biggest signing of the season. The attacker will be given the role of a roaming forward and is expected to fill the big shoes of Greg Stewart. JET is versatile in attack and can slot in at any role across the front three. In pre-season games, Jay has looked really comfortable and will play an important role in attack in the coming season. The fans have huge expectations from the player and will be hoping for him to get going from the first game itself.

Centre Forward: Daniel Chima Chukwu

Daniel Chima has regained the reputation he had while stepping into India. The former Molde striker turned the strides in his favour after a dismal stint at East Bengal and is expected to break the all-time highest scoring record of Nerijus Valskis at the club. Chima did boost Jamshedpur FC’s attack after his arrival and has similar responsibilities this season as well.