Chennaiyin FC will look to secure the top spot in the Indian Super League table when it faces bottom-placed Delhi Dynamos at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
READ: Gregory suspended for 3 matches; fined 4 lakh
The home side comes into the tie on a three-game unbeaten streak but will miss head coach John Gregory's presence in the dugout as he faces a four-game suspension after being found guilty of misconduct towards match officials during the 1-0 win against Jamshedpur in the side's previous game.
Delhi Dynamos got its season off to a winning start but has been on a downward slump since, having lost six games on the trot, with the most recent one being a 4-0 mauling at the hands of Mumbai City.
Dynamos will miss the services of midfielder Claudio Matías Mirabaje, who has been suspended for four games after a clash with Mumbai City FC midfielder Sehnaj Singh in the previous game.
"We started well and have been playing good football but we have two problems, in two key areas; defence and attack," said Dynamos coach Miguel Angel Portugal on the eve of the match. “Our main problem in defence is our failure to deal with set-pieces and our opponents know this," he added.
To add to its misery, the Dynamos side is also battling injury concerns. Portugal hinted that captain Kalu Uche is not in the best shape and will not be fit to start on Sunday. However, despite the odds stacked against his side, the Spanish coach seems confident of pulling off a victory. “Chennaiyin is a big team but I am confident in my team and we are prepared for a win.”
Eyes on all three points
"Gregory's absence is a loss for us but the team is focused on winning the three points tomorrow," said Sabir Pasha, Chennaiyin's assistant coach.
The side will be without captain Henrique Sereno, who has played a key role in defence, as he serves a one-match suspension. "It's going to be a tough task to replace Sereno. However, we defend as a team. Our attack starts in the defence and vice-versa.
"Tomorrow will be a real test for us without Sereno. It will be a challenge for us against a team that will go all out against us as they don't have points. We are ready for tomorrow," said Pasha.
The Chennaiyin camp will be glad that it has no injury worries and all the players have recovered well in the nine-day gap the side has had since its last game.
Sunday will witness a key battle as Dynamos fights to get rid of its bottom-placed tag, while Chennaiyin will look to propel itself to the top of the table. While the head-to-head record favours the visitor, it looks like the home side will coast to a comfortable win.
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