Chennaiyin FC will be without the services of the injured midfielder Vladimir Koman against Hyderabad FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Thursday. To make matters worse, striker Nerijus Valskis and the versatile Ariel Borysiuk are also doubtful after picking up knocks in their last match against FC Goa.
Placed sixth in the points table with 14 points, CFC could dislodge Hyderabad from fourth position with 16 points. But the injuries have come as a huge blow to the side's chances of breaking into the top four.
CFC had lost their last match against Goa and had only one shot on target. With Koman being their creative force in the midfield and Valskis suffering a niggle, coach Bozidar Bandovic said his boys will have the task cut out if they want to return to winning ways.
"When you play like the way we played in the last game, you can say it is difficult (to beat Hyderabad). But we did play beautifully against ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC. We made good movements and were very good tactically. So you need patience because in two months you cannot have consistency. But I agree my boys need to play better both physically and mentally," Bandovic said on match-eve.
"Koman will not be available tomorrow and I am waiting for a report on Valskis' fitness. He was not in sync with the physical condition of all our players. But I believe in the next games, his physical condition will be much better. We know his quality and I'm sure he will help us," Bandovic added.
CFC though can take heart from the fact that they had beaten Hyderabad in the first leg. Hyderabad have also been struggling recently and are coming on the back of a draw against Bagan and loss against Kerala Blasters. With CFC defence been solid and miserly, a Bartholomew Ogbeche-less Hyderabad could find it difficult to breach the CFC citadel. The Nigerian striker, who has scored nine goals in 10 matches so far, is suspended for the CFC match after picking up his fourth yellow card in the last game.
But Bandovic rated Hyderabad highly. "Hyderabad are one of the best organised teams. They are a very dangerous. The way they have played and built themselves in the competition shows it won't be easy against them. But it is a tightly-knit table at the moment. There are teams who are stronger than us. So, it's going to be a very big success if we go into the top 4 tomorrow," Bandovic said.
Hyderabad coach Manolo Marquez said his team won't be affected by Ogbeche's absence. "It will have zero effect on us. We are focused on beating Chennaiyin tomorrow. They have a different style of playing. They are a team that prepares to play in a counter-attacking style rather than play with possession. So I expect a difficult game. But we are ready," boasted Marquez.
