Table-toppers Bengaluru FC will play host to FC Pune City at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangaluru on Friday. The Blues have been in scintillating form throughout the season, winning their last five matches on the trot. In the reverse fixture back in October, Bengaluru came out as comfortable 3-0 winners over the Stallions courtesy of impressive performances from Sunil Chhetri and Miku.

At the pre-match press conference, Bengaluru head coach Carles Cuadrat answered the media’s questions. The Spaniard began by providing a crucial update on Miku’s injury. “Miku is flying to Spain today. We finally got the decision that the best for him is to get injections from a Rayo Vallecano doctor. He is going to start his recovery there. Hopefully we will have him in January, we will miss him until then. Erik Paartalu is in the team. We are not sure about Albert Serran, because he had a problem in the last game. We are working with him today to try and have him tomorrow,” he said.

Cuadrat has been forced to experiment with his squad owing to Miku’s absence, but maintained that he has been thoroughly impressed with the performances of the players brought in. “I don’t like to experiment a lot. I think that in football you have to have a plan and till now the plan has been working for us. Because we are at the top of the table and we want to keep that. The thing is that Miku is a very important player for the team. But we have to be positive and we have to give opportunities to other players in the team like Chencho Gyeltshen and Semboi Haokip to make a step forward. I saw that Semboi was participating in the last two goals we scored. They have to help us in the moment that we need them,” he remarked.

Looking at Pune’s recent run of results, one would expect Bengaluru to breeze through this fixture, however, Cuadrat refused to take things for granted saying, “Football depends a lot on dynamics. Right now, we are in a very good dynamic and they are in a very bad dynamic. But unfortunately, they did not take advantage of that in the last game. I think they had chances, but NorthEast United is a very good team. It will be a new test for us and I hope that we can play a good game and get the three points.”

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