NorthEast United FC will kick-start the proceedings of match-week six of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 by hosting Mumbai City FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday. The Islanders presently occupy the fifth position on the league table, with just two wins to their name from six matches. They will look to come back stronger after facing defeat against ATK this Sunday, and ensure Highlanders’ passionate fanbase do not intimidate them when they take on the home team.

Mumbai last played on Sunday and will only get a gap of 72 hours before Wednesday’s fixture. In the pre-match press conference, Mumbai’s head coach Alexandre Guimaraes was asked if that would affect his team’s overall performance, to which he replied, “We have at least 72 hours. The problem is when you have less than 72 hours. Good thing is that we arrived at least two days before and we can have a good practice on a good ground. I think this period of free days is usual in football nowadays. The problem is when you have less than 72 hours or when you have to travel a long way to play. We are happy to be here. This is one of the best pitches in India. The fans here are also fantastic. I hope that tomorrow we can have a good game.”

The Costa Rican informed that his team currently has no injury concerns as “the medical department has been doing a great job recovering the players that have been out.” He also seemed impressed with 18-year old Pranjal Bhumij, who came in as a substitute in their last encounter against ATK. Speaking of him, Guimaraes revealed, “It was a shame that he (Bhumij) didn’t arrive at the time that he had to arrive. The moment that he arrived, every day, every practice he shows the fire. He wants to be a professional player and he wants to play. He has no fear, he wants the ball. So I was just waiting for an opportunity to give him this possibility. He did very well. It’s not easy to make a first appearance in a tough game and he did very well. He’s knocking the door. Every day he asks for more and more. He has a very bright future for him and Indian football.”

The 58-year old is the only coach from Hero ISL 2016, who is associated with his Club this season as well. Hence, when asked how different the current season is when compared to the previous, he gave his valuable insights on the same. “First of all, I think the two new teams (Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC) that arrived have shown that it is good for ISL to have them. They have shown good things. After the first five games, the teams are very equal. No matter if there are many goals, the scores are very close. Also for the local players, it’s a good opportunity to have more playing time. Of course, that makes the game also change a little bit. All of them are trying to improve a lot. All the teams are having this period of practice which we didn’t have in the past and it’s good. How they organize the fixtures is something they can improve on. The level of football is good and the entertainment is there. It is good for football promotion in India,” he concluded.