Marchena leaves Kerala Blasters; McFadden eyed as replacement
Kerala Blasters’ marquee player Carlos Marchena has parted ways with the Indian Super League (ISL) franchise after failing to recover fully from a back injury. The Blasters have lined up James McFadden as the Spaniard's replacement and are currently in talks with the former Everton striker, the team has announced.
Last week, Blasters fired their manager Peter Taylor. Marchena, 2010 World Cup winner, picked up the injury during the franchise’s preseason camp and flew back home to consult a specialist.
After his return, Marchena was on the field only for 49 minutes during the 0-1 defeat to Delhi Dynamos last month. Taylor faced questions on the defender’s fitness at every press conference where he made it clear that Marchena was not fit enough to play 90 minutes in a match.
McFadden is an experienced Scottish striker, who has made 48 appearances for the national team. The 32-year-old has English Premier League experience and will provide a lot of depth to the Kerala attack.