With Mumbai City FC placed in the lower half of the table, it becomes imperative for head coach Nicolas Anelka and his players to make the most of the rest of their games. However, considering their average away record this season, and with a solitary home game lined up for later, Mumbai face an uphill task against FC Goa on Tuesday.In the press conference prior to the match at the Fatorda Stadium, Anelka addressed the mediapersons’ concerns about his team’s consistency. “When you play football – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. When you look at the table, we are not far. Only one win and we’ll be on top.”But does the road ahead look tough for the former Chelsea star? “Everyone must win games, home and away. It’s very tight. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. It’s a must-win game for us, but also a must-win game for Goa,” he said. “And with Sunil’s [Chhetri] return, it’s a big boost for us, since he’s scoring goals, and that’s always important.”Speaking of taking on the Gaurs in their own lair, Anelka mentioned that the ‘fight’ isn’t just restricted to tactical moves. “They’re strong at the back. I don’t know if we have an advantage because we won against them at home. But we know it’s going to be difficult. We’ll have to give a good fight to come back with something from Goa.”Formidable but unfortunate, Mumbai City FC will, however, have to go against FC Goa without the services of attacking midfielder Brandon Fernandes, who was injured in the match against FC Pune City. “He’s out for 6 weeks, so he won’t be able to play again unfortunately. It’s a shame for me, and Mumbai City, since he was a part of my starting XI.”A key figure, Fernandes was deemed a good fit into the starting lineup, filling in for Haitian international Sony Norde who shall be joining the team later from national duty. “We are looking at it,” said coach Anelka, commenting on the replacement, “but it is difficult to find someone who will fit straight into my team. Otherwise, I’ll try to do the best with the players I have.”
