ISL 2017: Jamshedpur to miss Anas Edathodika against Chennaiyin FC, Mehtab Hossain fit to play

Jamshedpur FC will most likely miss the service of star Indian defender Anas Edathodika in their Indian Super League (ISL) game against Chennaiyin FC on Thursday, December 28th. The India international had picked up an injury while playing against Kerala Blasters on November 24th.

It was Jamshedpur’s second game of the season and since then the defender has been out of action.
Goal has learned that Anas is yet to join the team and is still under doctor’s supervision.

Anas is a vital member of Steve Coppell’s side. He was the very first player the franchise chose at the ISL players’ draft. In fact, manager Coppell mentioned in the pre-match press conference against Bengaluru FC exactly how the defender is a vital cog in the Jamshedpur squad.

"Anas was our first pick in the draft. We had a thought process for selecting him. A strong Indian player in the central defence means you can play an international player up the pitch. So not having Anas meant we had to play an extra foreign defender which affected the firepower upfront. We are hopeful that he will recover soon and we can bring him back to the squad. His injury has definitely affected the team’s performance," the Jamshedpur gaffer had remarked.

Another important member of the Jamshedpur FC side, Mehtab Hossain, had to leave the field against Bengaluru FC in the 38th minute due to a back problem. Coach Coppell had mentioned that he was suffering from a back injury for almost three days prior to the game.
But the club has confirmed to Goal that Mehtab is fit and is ready to play in the crucial home fixture against Chennaiyin FC