Defending champions Bengaluru FC added three more players to their roster on Tuesday, ahead of the new I-League season that kicks off on January 7.
Left-back Lalhmangaihsanga ‘Sena’ Ralte, winger Mandar Rao Dessai and goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya are the new BFC recruits who will join the team on loan. BFC will kick off the new season with a game against Shillong Lajong at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
Sena (from Mumbai City FC), Dessai (FC Goa) and Arindam (FC Pune City) join midfielders Harmanjot Khabra and Lenny Rodrigues who had been roped in by the Blues earlier.
“We will be competing in two tournaments (I-League and AFC Champions League qualifiers) at the same time and it’s going to take squad depth if we are to do well,” Bengaluru head coach Albert Roca said.
“Sena is coming off a good tournament with Mumbai City FC, Mandar is a very talented youngster who has made rapid strides and Arindam brings with him the kind of experience that will keep Amrinder (Singh) and (Lalthuammawia) Ralte on their toes at all times. These are good additions to our squad and I hope they get up to speed with our systems given there’s very little time before the league begins.”
Should Roca choose to draft Sena at the left-back position, the 28-year-old from Mizoram will compete for the spot with Lalchhuanmawia, Keegan Pereira and Nishu Kumar.
After the opening game, the Albert Roca-side will host Chennai City FC (January 14) and Mumbai FC (January 18) before heading to Kolkata for their first away-fixture against East Bengal on January 22.