Mumbai City FC will look to maintain its unbeaten record as it travels away from home to face a formidable Kerala Blasters side in an ISL match.
Mumbai, however, heads into the match with four key players, Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Greg Stewart, and Vikram Partap Singh, suspended after its game against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, which featured seven red cards across both sides.
However, newly appointed head coach Peter Kratky is confident and happy with the squad he has available for the Blasters clash.
“What happened, happened, but I am looking forward to seeing the new people coming in from the bench. The young boys are buzzing to show me what they got and I feel it.”
Mumbai’s key playmaker Greg Stewart is also suspended, which could be a major blow to Mumbai’s attacking front, but Kratky seems confident with the depth of the squad and said, “We have other players coming in and we have to make the best of what we have.”
VAR as a technology has been accepted and implemented in leagues across the world but the ISL is yet to indulge in it.
After the red-card spree awarded in his last game, Kratky was asked by Sportstar about his views on the state of refereeing in the ISL and if VAR is the need of the hour, to which he replied, “I am very new here, so I can’t judge yet, but I think VAR is a valid solution, it is working around the world, there are some lows and highs about that but it is about what’s best for the league and the people working will make the right decisions.”
Young players from the ranks, especially at the back, will have a chance to hit the ground running and even start for Mumbai, with the likes of Bheke and Mishra sent off in the last game.
The young full-back, Sanjeev Stalin, who is yet to start in the ISL this season, will most likely be featuring in the playing XI against Kerala Blasters.
“As a professional, I am okay with not being the first choice for the coach as long as we are winning. When the opportunity comes, you have to be there for the team and perform,” Stalin said in regards to his position in the Mumbai City squad.
When asked about playing against his former team, Stalin positively said, “I don’t see any difficult part of playing against them. I will have fun playing there and the only challenge is to win the game.”
Kerala Blasters will be without its skipper, Adrian Luna, since the attacker is currently recovering from knee surgery. Kratky, who has previously worked with Luna in Melbourne City FC, said he is “one of the best in the league” and wished him a speedy recovery.
The match between Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City will kick off at 8 PM on Sunday, December 24, and the winning side will go top of the league table.
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