NorthEast United FC head coach Khalid Jamil feels despite the loss of Federico Gallego to injury, the team is well prepared to face a strong opposition like FC Goa in their fourth match of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa on Saturday.

NorthEast United FC have one point from possible nine points at the start of the season. Other than the flashes of brilliance, the club has struggled to hit the ground running. But Jamil is no stranger to turning things around. Last season, he took the club into the top four when it seemed like a lost cause.

The Highlanders are averaging only 2.6 shots on target in the season till now. In the previous match against Chennaiyin FC, the induction of Gallego in the starting lineup sparked creativity in the first 20 minutes of the match, before he had to be stretched off.

Ahead of NorthEast United FC’s clash against FC Goa, coach Jamil and left-back Gurjinder Kumar addressed the media during the official pre-match press conference.

Here are the excerpts from Khalid’s press conference.

What’s your approach towards the game tomorrow?

Jamil: The preparation has been good. We will go into the game with a positive mindset. FC Goa is a strong team. They are well organised so we have to be careful. Tactically we will have to be very good. We will be positive and give our best.

FC Goa had struggled at the start of the season. What do you make of them?

Jamil: FC Goa is a good team. They have quality Indian and foreign players. We can’t take the match lightly at all.

In the absence of Gallego, how will you rearrange your midfield?

Jamil: We will definitely miss Gallego. He is a quality player. But we won’t make any excuses. We are preparing another option. We have Pragyan, Sehnaj and Imran, who is back in the squad after missing two games due to injury.

Here are the excerpts from Gurjinder’s press conference.

NorthEast United FC has only one point in three matches. What’s the mood inside the camp?

Gurjinder: We are working hard to get our first win. Every team goes through a phase like this, but we are positive and we will be fully prepared when we take the field tomorrow.

You played for NorthEast United FC last season as well. Is there any difference between last season and this season?

Gurjinder: No, there's no difference. We had a good run last season so we want to build on that and fight for the trophy this season. The training has been good. I am continuously learning and hopefully our performances will also improve.