Chennaiyin FC’s assistant coach Vivek Nagul.Chennaiyin FC have already qualified for the semi-finals of the Hero Indian Super League but will look to capture full points when they host FC Goa and Delhi Dynamos FC in their remaining two games. They need just one win in two games to clinch top spot in the standings.Revealing his plans at a press conference on the eve of the Goa clash, Chennaiyin’s assistant coach Vivek Nagul said, “Statistically, we may have qualified, but we will have to prepare for this match and must take it game by game. We will use this match to rotate the squad and give fringe players a chance to perform.”“We will use the next two games as preparation for the semi-finals and we want to work on tactical nuances and will rest players who may have niggling injuries,” Nagul added. He however assured fans, saying, “We will be playing the best team that is available to us.”Nagul also had had some good news for Chennai fans by revealing that marquee player and league top scorer Elano Blumer will be returning from Brazil, where he had gone to recuperate from an injury, on December 7 or 8.He also agreed that playing the last two games at home would be a shot in the arm for the hosts. “Considering we have travelled for the away games, it is a huge relief that we are playing the last two games at home. It will give the team breathing space, and more importantly, allow the medical team to attend to players with niggling injuries,” he stated.Defender Bernard Mendy, who has captivated fans with his inspired performances, welcomed the arrival of the team’s latest foreign import -- Italian legend Alessandro Nesta. “Nesta is a good player, like Marco (Materazzi) and Mikaël (Silvestre), so it is good that he has joined the squad,” the Frenchman observed.Asked whether he had any specific plan for Goa playmaker André Santos, Mendy replied, “We must play well together as team and have a plan for the team.” He however said there would be no preferential treatment for countryman and friend Robert Pirès during the game. “I don’t have a friend on the pitch, before and after is different, but not on the pitch,” he asserted.
