Kerala Blasters FC will be looking to get back on the winning track when it takes on lowly-placed SC East Bengal in a second phase encounter of ISL-8 at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Monday.
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Blasters, currently fifth with 23 points from 14 matches, would be eager to exploit East Bengal’s run of poor form to regain its position in the top-four of the league.
Confidence boost
Blasters suffered a heavy loss at the hands of Jamshedpur FC in its last outing and a win will be high up on the agenda for the side that is aiming for the title. This will also give Blasters the opportunity to boost its confidence ahead of meetings against ATK Mohun Bagan and Hyderabad FC, which are placed above it in the standings.
With the top-four spot out of sight, East Bengal (on 10 from 16) will be fighting for pride and a second win in the tournament.
Injury woes
Injuries and suspensions pose some challenges to Blasters coach Ivan Vukomanovic, who may not be getting the services of names like Ruivah Hormipam, Harmanjot Khabra and Marko Leskovic. “We have enough players in our squad. Someone else will take the positions. I am confident these boys can do the job,” said Vukomanovic while looking to get his line-up in order. East Bengal coach Mario Rivera felt his players would be under less pressure and be playing for a win to salvage some pride. “I am sure the top teams will not be happy to play East Bengal now because they know we will be a very difficult team to beat. We are focused on winning the next match,” Rivera said.