Kerala Blasters have been rocked with the absence of marquee player Aaron Hughes for their crucial Hero Indian Super league encounter against FC Goa at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, on Tuesday.
Kerala's choice of Aaron Hughes as a marquee player was well-thought. He was comparatively younger than the other marquee players and with his international playing days behind him, was expected to be around for most part of the ISl. However, Northern Ireland have summoned Hughes to bolster its defence and Kerala will have to do without their most influential player. "When we signed him as a marquee player, we thought (about) his age and having finished the European Championships, we thought his international days were over. Northern Ireland has had an injury problem and called him into the squad," said Kerala manager Steve Coppell
Apart from Hughes, Kerala will also have to do without Haitian international Duckens Nazon, while the two Bengaluru FC players — Rino Anto and CK Vineeth — are unlikely to be fielded straightway.