After losing to FC Pune City in their last match earlier this week, Jamshedpur FC will be hoping to bounce back immediately when they take on defending champions Chennaiyin FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Sunday. Given NorthEast United FC’s victory over Kerala Blasters FC on Friday, three points from this match may prove crucial for Cesar Ferrando’s side in order to keep pace with other teams in the race for the top four.

The Jamshedpur head coach was present at the pre-match press conference on Saturday to answer the media’s questions. When asked about the upcoming match, he said, "The last match wasn’t good for us but we must move on and focus on the next match. Chennaiyin are a good team. They play very well and they have won the trophy last season. It is a home match against Chennaiyin, so we have to play well and make our fans happy with a win."

Jamshedpur have been dealt a major blow with playmaker Sergio Cidoncha ruled out until the January with an injury. Ferrando confirmed the news and said, "Unfortunately, it is a big injury for him and it’s a big blow for us. He won’t be ready to face Chennaiyin. He won’t be back till January. He will probably be back after the winter break."

However, Ferrando also pointed out that his team has the necessary quality to cope with the Spaniard's absence. "Michael Soosairaj, Carlos Calvo or Pablo Morgado can play in his position. We have to wait till tomorrow to find out who will play in his position. But it is more important for me that we play as a team. Sergio was having a good season but at this moment he is not with us. It will be a difficult match tomorrow for us," he added.

Ferrando concluded by speaking about Chennaiyin’s long break from the league and the implications it may have on the match. "This league is different than other leagues. Some teams play two or three matches in a row, while some teams play only once a week. But that’s the way the league is and we can’t change that. I prefer to play games in quick succession, especially when we lose. Even if you lose in those games you have the next match to make things right. I think that’s the best thing you can do to recover the confidence. When there’s a two-week break, the players can end up thinking about the loss a lot," he said.

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