“Meet the Blasters” – ISL 2025/26 Kerala Blasters FC Season Preview

“We’re So Back -> It’s So Over -> We’re So back ->” and so on and forth describes the ISL fiasco in all its infamy with near utmost perfection, the days when the league was on hold was a big anesthetic to the fans that even the mismatched aesthetics of the AIFF Super Cup couldn’t completely bring back all from the deep slumber they were put into by professional mismanagement so big that it has etched itself in history.

Everything isn’t all right just yet, but we still are going into the new season hoping “Aal Izz Well” and that All will be Well, at least by the time of next season. With that in mind, let’s go into this season preview made specifically for those who want a recap of the off-season action before diving into the new season of ISL:

Transfer Window (in a nutshell)

Kerala Blasters FC is undoubtedly one of the worst-hit clubs due to the ISL Uncertainty. Losing all foreign players and key domestic players due to factors outside the club’s reach had made the team significantly weaker, and the financial conditions, along with the possible threat of relegation, further made sure that the Blasters had to undergo a one-of-a-kind rebuild, something along the lines of what one might’ve seen in a handful of FIFA Career Mode Rebuild Challenges.

Kerala Blasters have completed the signing of Amey Ranawade Mohun Bagan

The club’s January Transfer Window (excluding Foreign Departures), when summarized, looks like this:

Name	Age	Nationality	Primary Position	Status
Mohammed Aimen	23	🇮🇳	Left Winger	Outgoing
Mohammed Azhar	23	🇮🇳	Central Midfielder	Outgoing
Rowllin Borges	33	🇮🇳	Defensive Midfielder	Incoming
Marlon Roos-Trujillo ✈️	22	🇩🇪 🇨🇴	Attacking Midfielder	Incoming
Kévin Yoke ✈️	29	🇫🇷 🇦🇴	Left Winger	Incoming
Matías Hernández ✈️	28	🇪🇸	Defensive Midfielder	Incoming
Víctor Bertomeu ✈️	33	🇪🇸	Centre-Forward	Incoming
Oumar Bah ✈️	31	🇸🇳 🇪🇸	Centre-Back	Incoming
Salahudheen Adnan K	24	🇮🇳	Right-Winger	Incoming
Amey Ranawade	27	🇮🇳	Right-Back	Outgoing
Nora Fernandes	27	🇮🇳	Goalkeeper	Outgoing

Foreign Contingent

KBFC’s foreign contingent for this season is made up of Marlon Roos-Trujillo (AM), Kévin Yoke (LW), Matías Hernández (DM), Víctor Bertomeu (CF) and Oumar Bah (CB). The profiles and the five-man foreign squad are a direct consequence of the current scenario surrounding the ISL, but there has been an attempt to get the most out of what the club could afford by signing profiles who’d both fit in David’s system and could be successful in the ISL, and signings like Kévin and Víctor highlight the same intention. In other words, this season’s signings were made in a way that they complement each other, rather than focusing on pure individual brilliance, when compared to previous seasons.

We talked about this foreign contingent in a bit more detail per individual in a separate article, which I shall link down below:

Domestic Contingent

KBFC’s domestic contingent this season relies more on the youth, with a spoonful of experience thrown in to the mix. Club Captain Bikash Yumnam, along with Hormipam Ruivah and newcomer Sumit Sharma, handles the Centre-Back department, while the Left-Back spot is covered by Saheef, Naocha and Jaganath, providing a sturdy young core, while Aibanbha Dohling steps in as the experienced option in defense with his ability to handle all defensive roles as needed.

The Right-Back spot, however, is one of the, if not the, weakest part(s) of the Blasters’ squadron this season, with only Sandeep Singh as a near-proper RB following the departure of Amey Ranawade to Mohun Bagan. Sandeep Singh’s poor form is also a major source of concern among fans, and the only talked-about alternatives are using Aiban or Hormi as a makeshift RB, as done by head coach David in his previous matches.

Naocha Singh in action against Nikhil Barla

The Blasters’ Midfield this season boasts a talented mix of young and experienced players, with Vibin and Rowllin headlining the department, backed by Danish, Freddy and Ebindas. Blasters had been lacking an experienced domestic presence in the defensive midfield slot for some time, and the signing of ISL veteran Rowllin Borges is expected to fix the Blasters’ Defensive Midfield woes as they head into the new season.

The Blasters’ Domestic Forward line this season is stacked with explosive young forwards – Korou, Nihal, Amawia, Sreekuttan, the in-form returnee Ajsal and latest signing Salahudheen light up the forward line with dynamism and unpredictability, forming an array of attackers that a lot of defense lines in the league would find tough to handle.

The Blasters’ Goalkeeping Squad this season is all about either rise or redemption. With the recent departure of Nora Fernandes, who followed the twin duo of Aimen-Azhar to Sporting Club Delhi under Tomasz Tchórz, the Blasters GK department lacks an experienced option. It’s a do-or-die season for Sachin Suresh, who’s expected to return as the first-choice goalkeeper after a disappointing season, while recent recruit Arsh and Alsabith would be looking for a chance to prove their worth.

Pre-Season

KBFC held two pre-season friendlies against fellow Kerala club Gokulam Kerala FC, both of which the Blasters won with the scorelines 1-0 and 3-1, respectively, with Amawia, Rowllin, Víctor, and Ebindas finding the back of the net.

Squad for ISL 2025/26:

Goalkeepers: Sachin Suresh, Arsh Shaikh, Alsabith Sulaiman

Defenders: Naocha Singh, Aibanbha Dohling, Hormipam Ruivah, Sandeep Singh, Muhammed Saheef, Bikash Yumnam, Sumit Sharma, Jaganath Jayan, Oumar Bah

Midfielders: Vibin Mohanan, Danish Farooq, Nihal Sudeesh, Rowllin Borges, Freddy Lallawmawma, Ebindas Yesudasan, Salahudheen Adnan, Luis Matías Hernández, Marlon Roos Trujillo

Forwards: Korou Singh, Lalthanmawia Renthlei, Muhammed Ajsal, Sreekuttan MS, Victor Bertomeu, Kevin Yoke

Predicted 11:

Although it’s hard to predict how Kerala Blasters could lineup considering the wholesale changes in the squad, this is how David Catala could set-up his team.

Sachin Suresh (GK); Sandeep, Bikash Yumnam, Oumar Bah, Naocha Singh, Matias Hernandez, Vibin Mohanan, Nihal Sudeesh, Marlon Roos-Trujillo, Korou Singh, Victor Bertomeu.

X-Factor

Kerala Blasters midfield Marlon-Roos Trujillo in training

Marlon Roos-Trujillo: The 22 y/o German Colombian Attacking Midfielder is gonna be the key to the Blasters’ attack this season. Young and Versatile with a knack for well-timed through balls, Marlon is expected to be the engine of the Blasters’ midfield, enabling pacy forwards like Kévin Yoke and Víctor Bertomeu to give the opposition a run for their money.