The Toyota Yaris LaLiga World 2018 begins today with hosts Kerala Blasters taking on A-League side Melbourne City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. The pre-season tournament will also feature LaLiga side Girona FC taking on Hero Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters on July 28.

Ahead of the game against Melbourne, Kerala’s head coach David James was present at the pre-match press conference to take questions from the media. The Englishman spoke about the mentality of his players heading into the big clash against Melbourne. “I think when you have a group of players who want to win everything, of course, yes we want to win the game. Melbourne are in a very similar situation to us, it is their first game in their pre-season like ours. Girona are close to starting their season.”

James also pointed out the threat posed by the quality of opponents at the tournament and admitted that it will be a different challenge for his side. “The level of opposition, you have got one of the best sides in the A-League, one of the better sides in La Liga (and so) we have to be realistic, we are not sure how good we are outside India.”

The 47-year-old provided an update on the availability of his players ahead of the clash, including new signing Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, who is expected to take the field. “As a (former) India U17 goalkeeper, there is a lot of expectation. In training, he has been fantastic and deserves the opportunity to start. I have got a couple of injuries while we are away. CK Vineeth has an injury to the jaw. Sujith also sustained an injury.”

Warren Joyce, head coach of Melbourne City FC was present to address questions from the media. Joyce seemed pleased with the weather conditions ahead of the game and was impressed with the facilities in Kerala. “I think the pitch is fantastic. It is not raining heavily compared to England. The facilities haven't been affected by the rain, no complaints about that. Just looking forward to the game."

The match kicks off at 7.00 PM tonight and will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network.