Kochi: A desperate Kerala Blasters take on FC Goa in a crucial fixture of Indian Super League (ISL) Season Six at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday. Blasters are languishing at the ninth spot in the 10-team league with just four points from five games, while Goa lie fourth with eight points from five matches.
Eelco Schattorie's men, who began the season promisingly with a 2-1 win over former champions ATK, have struggled since then. The Yellow Brigade have been hit hard by injuries and could pick up only a solitary point from their last four encounters. Blasters need a win badly to script a turnaround.
Spanish playmaker Mario Arques is unlikely to return to the playing eleven after suffering an injury in the opening game.
The Blasters forward line has struggled in general and as always the onus of scoring goals rests with captain Bartholomew Ogbeche. In fact, Blasters had a couple of fine chances in their last game against Bengaluru FC. However, forward Messi Bouli and winger K P Rahul failed to find the target as they went down 0-1.
Goa keen to bounce back
Goa, on the other hand, are smarting from a 0-1 reversal at the hands of Jamshedpur FC in their own backyard. The Gaurs will be determined to get back to winning ways and forward Ferran Corominas, who missed the tie against Jamshedpur with an injury, will a real threat for the Blasters backline.
However, the absence of midfielder Hugo Boumous and striker Seiminlen Doungel will be a cause of concern for Goa's Spanish head coach Sergio Lobera. Both will miss the game after being suspended by the All-India Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee for misconduct in an earlier fixture against NorthEast United FC.
But the visitors are a quality team and Blasters will have to raise their game in order to revive their campaign.