Mumbai City FC gear up to face Kerala Blasters FC in their third away fixture of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday. They will be playing their second match of the week and will look to turn things around after their disheartening 2-1 ‘Maharashtra Derby’ loss to FC Pune City.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Mumbai head coach Alexandre Guimaraes seemed a little perturbed with his team having only a three-day rest between matches. He said, “I think that it is a very difficult fixture list that we have, playing three of our first four games away. This is not normal, but, this is what we have to handle. I know for sure that tomorrow our players will put in everything that they have to make a good game, to be competitive, to fight for three points, and then play our next two games at home. We hope that tomorrow we can adjust some things, and if we manage to do that, then I think we can make a good game tomorrow.”

Another drawback for Mumbai this season has been their inability to keep clean sheets in any of their games. On being asked the reason behind his team’s defensive woes, Guimaraes explained, “Yes, of course, we are concerned about our defence because we think that you have to be solid to play more aggressively in our offensive game. The start of our season, like I said before, we have had different situations with different players. For example, Aibor (Aiborlang Khongjee), who played with us last season, hurt his knee and had to have a surgery and cannot play. So, we have to adjust some things that take a little longer. I hope that tomorrow we can adjust and play a solid game in defence.”

Other than Khongjee, Mumbai will also miss the services of Leo Costa and Zakeer Mundampara due to injuries. When asked how he evaluates Kerala ahead of the match, the Costa Rican said, “I think they have very strong potential in all the departments. It is just a matter of getting the rhythm. Their approach to the final third is interesting. And the fact that they have not conceded goals tells us that they are solid. They have a good goalkeeper as well who helps them very much, just like in our case.”

Before leaving the conference, Guimaraes also appreciated Kerala’s fans and the thunderous atmosphere they create every time, “First of all, when I came here last season, I heard what happened in the first two editions of ISL, and I was impressed, because this is really an ambience that every football fan loves to be in. Players love this kind of environment to play in, and I know that it will be a packed stadium tomorrow again. Both teams will try to make it a good game, and I hope that the fans who come here will enjoy and be happy,” he concluded.