Chennaiyin looks to get back on track

CHENNAI: A wounded Chennaiyin FC will look to get back on track when it faces Hyderabad FC in a southern Indian Super League battle at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.

In its previous match in Bhubaneswar, Thomas Brdaric-coached Chennaiyin conceded deep in stoppage time and suffered a heart-breaking 2-3 defeat at the hands of Odisha FC. “We have to be much more concentrated. Hyderabad is the reigning ISL champion and has an experienced team. It has an experienced coach (Manolo Marquez) who is a good human,” said Brdaric, whose CFC team has picked up 10 points in seven matches.

Chennaiyin’s rival Hyderabad (16 points from 8 matches) began the ISL season on a strong note, but heads into the match on the back of successive defeats. “Yes, it is struggling. We recognise this. We noticed that. But, we never underestimate our opponent. With the quality, it is in a good situation to bounce back,” added Brdaric, who could be without Anirudh Thapa, Jiteshwor Singh and Narayan Das.

‘El Khayati an option to start’

Despite limited gametime, Dutch attacking midfielder Nasser El Khayati has been the standout performer for CFC with four goals and an assist. Asked if El Khayati could force his way into the starting eleven, Brdaric said: “He is ready and is an option. We also need creativity on the field. I guess that he can give us this.”

FRIDAY’s RESULT: Odisha FC 2 (Nandhakumar 24, Jerry 77) bt NorthEast United FC 1 (Rochharzela 60)