Even after having played three games in the Hero Indian Super League and presumably having watched a few more on television, FC Pune City head coach Franco Colomba says he is yet to get the measure of the competition.Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the Hero Indian Super League fixture against Kerala Blasters FC in Pune tomorrow, the Italian gaffer said, “With the amount of players and games, it is so unpredictable.”With a comprehensive 2-0 win against FC Goa in the last match played at home, Colomba however feels that his players are slowly responding to his methods. “Yes, the team is improving slowly, but it is difficult to implement things when you play three games in a week,” he said.Although there are a couple of injury concerns in the Pune camp, with Omar Andrés Rodríguez confirmed to be unavailable, and Manish Maithani picking up a slight knock in training, the good news is that striker Joaquim Abranches is back in business. The Goan forward, who is yet to figure in the competition, was present at the press conference and expressed relief over his team’s recent win. “The victory has brought a great feeling to our team, especially because we came back hard from a loss. It was a relief,” Abranches said. Speaking about his injury, he added, “I picked up an injury a while back, and have undergone recovery and rehabilitation for the same. All that is left is to gain some match fitness.”Colomba did not let out whether he would be fielding the same combination that brought him full points against FC Goa. “(Bruno) Cirillo and (Daniele) Magliocchetti have a good understanding and make a good pair in defence, along with (Emanuele) Belardi. But I’ve also got (Anupam) Sarkar and (Dharmaraj) Ravanan and others who I could field anytime. I observe my players in training. I have an idea about the players I want to field, but I decide my team at the last minute,” he explained.Colomba hopes this policy pays off as his team goes for their second win in as many home games against Kerala Blasters tomorrow.
