Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Juan Ferrando urged his team to maintain their focus if they are to get a positive result against Jamshedpur FC as they return to Indian Super League (ISL) action after 24 days.

The Mariners’ last match in the competition was an away fixture against Chennaiyin FC and have since only played one match against Basundhara Kings in the AFC Cup.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant are the only team in ISL this season to have a 100% record but drew their last match in the AFC Cup against the Kings.

Ferrando thus underlined the importance of consistency and maintaining the level of performance that’s seen them win their first three matches in the season.

“We need to continue working on finding solutions to our issues. We need to improve as a team, as we have 7-8 more months of competition so we must work in the same way. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose,” the Spaniard said during the pre-match press conference ahead of the match against Jamshedpur FC.

“The present is the most important for me, which is the Jamshedpur FC match and we’ll try to get the three points in that and then prepare for the next match,” he added.

The former FC Goa head coach was wary of the threats posed by Jamshedpur FC who have conceded just three goals so far this season and the challenges of facing them, especially at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur.

“I think it’s necessary to control two details (against Jamshedpur). If you forget about last season, they are very clear in their attacking and defensive styles. They are former ISL League Shield winners, and they create a lot of chances. They work in the build-up, they fight for the second ball and for me it’ll be a tough match because in defence they are very aggressive and a very compact team,” Ferrando said.

“They play a certain way where it’s difficult to beat them. They are very compact, so we need to be ready and smart in controlling spaces as well as finding the right moments to attack the spaces,” he added.

The Spaniard didn’t seem too bothered by the long gap his team have had since their last match in ISL as he believes his team have what it takes to take off from where they had left off.

“The break was good for the players and for us as it gave us time to prepare for the match. For us, it’s important to focus on the match and do well. I’m not thinking about this lengthy break being a problem,” he said.

No time frame for Anwar Ali's injury recovery

Ferrando confirmed that Anwar Ali will be sidelined due to an injury to his leg but could not put a time frame for his recovery.

“It’s difficult to tell for how long he’ll be out for. He’s had an inflammation in his leg, we’ll do scans and decide on the injury and its recovery process. We can’t say if he’s out for a month or two. We need time to check his knock step by step,” he said.

“When it comes to his replacement, I’m not afraid of not having him. We have Deepak Tangri and Sumit Rathi, two Indian centre-backs, who can replace him. We are disappointed with Anwar and Ashique’s injuries, but at the same moment, I know that others will be ready to step up and help the team,” he concluded.