Jamshedpur FC will look to arrest its slide when it squares up against defending Indian Super League (ISL) champion Chennaiyin FC at the JRD Sports Complex here on Sunday.
Defending champion Chennaiyin FC players during a training session on Saturday
Jamshedpur:
Coach Cesar Ferrando will take heart from the fact that it has lost just once, but the fact that it has drawn a league high of five games will give him a few headaches. Tim Cahill, who played his testimonial game for Australia this week, is back in contention for a start after missing out on the last match. Sergio Cidoncha, who scored three goals this season, is recuperating in Spain after picking a knee injury and Ferrando wants his team to not concern itself too much about his absence.
“Sergio is injured. We have lost him until January. He has suffered an ACL injury. It is a big blow for us. Sergio was definitely playing well but he is not here now. We have to continue playing and play well,” said Ferrando.
Sumeet Passi has been in good form with two goals already from 334 minutes and will look to build upon his display against FC Pune City. Of the four games Jamshedpur is to play before the league enters its third break, three are in the comfort of its home soil.
Chennaiyin FC, meanwhile, need to pick as many points as possible to move up the standings. It is placed ninth with just four points to show for its efforts from seven matches.
Coach John Gregory will be pleased that skipper Mailson Alves returned to form in its last outing in Pune. He would want Jeje Lalpekhlua too to get back to his best as the Mizoram striker is yet to open his account.
Anirudh Thapa and Germanpreet Singh put in a hardworking shift for India against Jordan and both were involved in the move leading to India’s consolation.
Although Jamshedpur is in the top half of the table, the host has only a mere two wins from eight matches, which is less than half of the teams placed above it.
Coach Cesar Ferrando will take heart from the fact that it has lost just once, but the fact that it has drawn a league high of five games will give him a few headaches. Tim Cahill, who played his testimonial game for Australia this week, is back in contention for a start after missing out on the last match. Sergio Cidoncha, who scored three goals this season, is recuperating in Spain after picking a knee injury and Ferrando wants his team to not concern itself too much about his absence.
“Sergio is injured. We have lost him until January. He has suffered an ACL injury. It is a big blow for us. Sergio was definitely playing well but he is not here now. We have to continue playing and play well,” said Ferrando.
Sumeet Passi has been in good form with two goals already from 334 minutes and will look to build upon his display against FC Pune City. Of the four games Jamshedpur is to play before the league enters its third break, three are in the comfort of its home soil.
Chennaiyin FC, meanwhile, need to pick as many points as possible to move up the standings. It is placed ninth with just four points to show for its efforts from seven matches.
Coach John Gregory will be pleased that skipper Mailson Alves returned to form in its last outing in Pune. He would want Jeje Lalpekhlua too to get back to his best as the Mizoram striker is yet to open his account.
Anirudh Thapa and Germanpreet Singh put in a hardworking shift for India against Jordan and both were involved in the move leading to India’s consolation.