Opponents count on injuries and absentees ahead of opener

October 01, 2016 12:41 am | Updated November 01, 2016 10:03 pm IST - GUWAHATI:

The opponents — NorthEast United FC and Kerala Blasters FC — in the opening fixture of the ISL third season counted on their own strengths in the absence of information about others.

NorthEast United FC’s Portuguese coach Nelo Vingada said the best option in the situation would be to attack when in possession and he promised a good game saying he had a balanced side and hoped to pick up full points.

“We hardly know anything about the opponent as they have a new coach and have changed the greater part of the team. That is the problem in a short-format tournament like this and the only advantage I have in the first match is playing in front of the home crowd,” Vingada said.

“I will be using the international players at the core of the plan and have the skilful Indians on the outside. Our wingers are good and I am confident of playing good football,” he added.

Vingada said Brazilian attacker Fabio Neves was injured and has been released and Japanese forward Robert Cullen will be replacing him. Uruguayan striker Sasha Aneff is also nursing an injury while defender Salam Ranjan Singh is yet to be released by Bengaluru FC, which is playing the AFC Cup semifinals.

Kerala Blasters will miss the services of C.K. Vineeth and Rino Anto to Bengaluru FC while its striker Antonio German is nursing a niggling injury. Blasters’ English coach Steve Coppell did not sound much worried about the injury or absentees saying that his squad was big enough to accommodate that.

Coppell hoped that the pre-season training in Thailand would help in having a good coordination in the side, which is essential in ensuring a good start.

“Best players do not always make the best team. It is about how they gel together as a team. We are dealing with different cultures and languages and it is essential to establish a good coordination to have a good match,” Coppell said.

Aaron Hughes, the Blasters’ marquee player, agreed with his coach and said he was impressed with the quality and skills of his Indian colleagues.

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