Chennaiyin FC reshape squad and possible XI ahead of ISL 2026-27 opener at Fatorda
Chennaiyin FC have overhauled their squad ahead of the Indian Super League 2026-27 season and a proposed starting lineup has been outlined as they prepare to face FC Goa at the Fatorda Stadium on October 10, 2026. The club retained head coach Clifford Miranda while entering the new campaign after a poor 2026 season.
Chennaiyin finished 13th in the ISL points table in 2026, recording just two wins and collecting 9 points amid a relegation scare. Miranda stayed on as head coach through the summer, with several senior departures including Farukh Choudhary, Alberto Noguera, Daniel Chima Chukwu and Pritam Kotal, and further outgoing names such as Elsinho, Eduardo Kau, Ankit Mukherjee and Dinliana noted in recent coverage. Incoming signings this window include Nuno Reis, Madih Talal, Brison Fernandes, Namgyal Bhutia, Emmanuel Imanishimwe, Ramon Tanque, Dippendu Biswas, Nikola Stojanovic, Ayush Chhetri, Jiteshwor Singh, Glan Martins and a 23-year-old left-back identified as Saheef.
Goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz is the club’s most notable performer from last season; the 26-year-old produced 39 saves and kept three clean sheets in 13 appearances, operating at times as a sweeper-keeper to support the team’s possession-based build-up from the back. Nawaz’s form was cited as a major factor in preventing an even worse league finish for Chennaiyin in 2026.
Central defence has been heavily reworked, with Nuno Reis signed after an ISL debut season at Mumbai City where he made 110 defensive contributions in 13 games; the Portuguese is expected to provide leadership and wear the captain’s armband. Emmanuel Imanishimwe has been brought in as the other foreign centre-back option, while the remaining centre-back spot is described as a contest between long-serving PC Laldinpuia and summer recruit Dippendu Biswas, who played 14 games in Mohun Bagan SG’s 2024-25 title campaign but was not utilised in 2025-26.
On the flanks, Chennaiyin added the 23-year-old Saheef to strengthen left-back, the player having represented Kerala Blasters over the last two seasons and featuring in their late-season surge under Ashley Westwood. Vignesh Dakshinamurthy is mentioned as an alternative at left-back provided he can manage fitness concerns, while Namgyal Bhutia was signed from Bengaluru FC after making 60 appearances for the Blues since 2021 and arrives with a notable Fatorda memory—setting up Sunil Chhetri for a stoppage-time semi-final goal in 2024-25.
The midfield group includes new arrival Ayush Chhetri, who made 88 appearances for FC Goa and has represented India; Jiteshwor Singh and Glan Martins are listed as additional options. Nikola Stojanovic moved from Jamshedpur FC to Chennaiyin over the summer and brings experience from Mohammedan SC, Gokulam Kerala and Inter Kashi, while Madih Talal—prolific for Punjab FC in 2023-24 but injury-hit at East Bengal and Jamshedpur since—was highlighted as a creative signing who ranked among the top three for chances created per 90 in ISL 2025-26 and whose availability is described as pivotal for Chennaiyin’s season.
The attacking options centre on Brison Fernandes, who scored eight goals and supplied four assists across the last two ISL seasons and is expected to start on the left wing, plus versatile forward Irfan Yadwad who offers work rate and positional flexibility. Ramon Tanque joins on a one-season loan from Perib Bandung after helping them win the Indonesian Super League with eight goals in 28 games and following a 2024-25 campaign at Visakha where he scored 21 goals in 28 matches; his goalscoring will be important given Chennaiyin managed just nine goals in 13 ISL games last season.
Chennaiyin’s season opens at the Fatorda Stadium against FC Goa on October 10, 2026 with kick-off scheduled for 19:30 IST, and head coach Clifford Miranda has indicated he expects a fully fit squad for that match, with Madih Talal available for selection.
