After a disappointing performance in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League (ISL), a new-look FC Pune City is all geared up to prove a point when the second edition starts on October 3.
The club will be managed by David Platt, a former assistant coach of English football giants Manchester City, and it can be said that his vast experience at the club level will surely come handy for the Pune side.
The club, which managed to win just four matches out of 14 in the first season, have a star-studded side this time around, thanks to the Indian players' auction and foreign players buying window.
Foreign signings like Former Chelsea star Adrian Mutu, Didier Zokora -- the most capped player for Ivory Coast -- Turkish footballer Tuncay Sanli, England's Roger Johnson and promising Indian players like Eugenesin Lyngdoh and Jackichand Singh can pose a real threat to the opponents in the forthcoming tournament.
Looking at their signing, one can surely say they are one of the top teams who are likely to finish at least in top four, if not higher.
Besides the foreign recruits, one of the players in the squad to watch out for will be rising star Eugenesin Lyngdoh. He is currently one of the best Indian players and was named the best midfielder in the I-League's 2014-15 season.
With his knowledge of Indian conditions, he can be a real threat if given space on either of the wings.
The team had their pre-season training in Turkey in high-class facilities which helped the Indian players gel with the foreign players ahead of the second season.
Pune will begin their campaign in a derby clash at home against rivals Mumbai City FC on October 5 at the Balewadi Stadium, here.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharya, Steve Simonsen, Lalit Thapa.
Defenders: Govin Singh, Diego Colotto, Roger Johnson, Pritam Kotal, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Gurjinder Kumar, Gouramangi Singh, Nicky Shorey.
Midfielders: Didier Zokora, Manish Maithani, James Bailey, Israil Gurung, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Sushanth Matthew, Bikash Jairu, Lenny Rodrigues, Fanai Lalrempuia.
Forwards: Yendrick Ruiz, Kalu Uche, Adrian Mutu, Jackichand Singh, Tuncay Sanli, Wesley Verhoek.
Coach: David Platt.
