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Sports

India’s gain, Blasters’ pain: Starboy’s late national squad call-up triggers concerns for club

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 10 Nov 2026 1 hour ago

Published: November 10, 2026 01:06 PM IST

Kerala Blasters attacker Mohammed Sanan has been named in the Indian national team squad to face New Zealand, replacing the injured Edmund Lalrindika.

Sanan earned his call-up following impressive substitute appearances against Brazil and Uruguay during the October international friendlies.

His selection and absence from training present a challenge for Kerala Blasters coach Ashley Westwood, who previously expressed concerns over the player’s fitness levels after national camp duties.

Auckland: Kerala Blasters young sensation Mohammed Sanan made the cut to the Indian National team’s 23-player squad to face New Zealand. Sanan replaced Edmund Lalrindika who was sidelined due to an injury, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Sunday confirmed through their official X handle.

The Malayali attacker’s selection came back off his exceptional display against world titans Brazil and Uruguay while coming off the bench during India’s October international friendlies. His explosive impact will be once again expected to come in handy for Khalid Jamal against the high-profile New Zealand side that featured in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sanan’s late inclusion, however, could add to the list of worries for Kerala Blasters head coach Ashley Westwood. With the lack of adequate pre-season minutes taking the toll on the team, the Blasters were eagerly looking forward to the international break giving them a useful window for training and recovery.

The 22-year-old has been one of the key performers in attack for Westwood, and the Blaster boss had previously went public with his concern for the player returning unfit from the National camp.

“When he came back from the Indian camp, he was the most unfit player at the club. He was the one who’s been doing the most training. I am not sure what he was doing with the national team, but he came back to us in really bad condition with regard to fitness,” said Westwood after their season opener against Inter Kashi.

Considering the team’s inability to find goals in the recent fixtures and foreign forwards Andre Green and Momo Yansane failing to fire, Sanan’s availability will be crucial importance for the Blaster’s title ambitions this season. His relentless attack from the left wing was one of the few positives for the club in their last two games which ended in a stalemate. Sanan’s absence in training will surely be another hurdle for Westwood in an already congested season schedule.

Sanan has travelled to Auckland with the National team for the first of the two friendlies against the All Whites to be held on Thursday. The second friendly will be played on November 15.

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