India has acclimatised to cold clime of Thimphu and is geared up to take on Bhutan in a unofficial friendly match tomorrow.
Speaking to www.the-aiff.com from Thimphu, coach Stephen Constantine said: “We have settled down quite well. The weather has not been too bad but the altitude is a little bit of an issue as it takes a few days to get used too. But we are coping well so far."
“The first two days we did double sessions but are having single sessions now as the game approaches,” he added.
The team is without the services of players from Bengaluru FC and East Bengal who were not released by the cubs for the pre-season training Camp in Delhi. So, Constantine is planning test his bench strength.
“All games are important when you represent your country. Although it is an unofficial Friendly where FIFA points won’t be counted, it is an opportunity for Players to show what they can do,” he said.
In his second stint as the Indian coach, Constantine has handed International debut to 28 Players.
“Bhutan are a team that are slowly but surely improving. The fact they are still in with a chance to make the final stages of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers is a testament to that,” he said.
Though the match is slated to be played on an artificial turf, Constantine isn't concerned.
“We have all played on the artificial surface so that should not be an issue. We have been training on the same pitch for the last few days. I repeat that the altitude could be an issue although after spending some 4-5 days in Bhutan, I hope it won’t affect us too much.”
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