In what came as a big blow for Atletico de Kolkata, their marquee player Helder Postiga is likely to miss the remainder of the Indian Super League as he is yet to regain full fitness.
Atletico de Kolkata coach, on Thursday, Antonio Habas said he was not happy with Postiga’s recovery and virtually ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament.
“He’s training with the side but he’s still not match fit. He’s still not fit enough to play in the tournament. At the moment he’s not available for ISL. He’s not making much improvement in his fitness,” Habas said at a news conference on the eve of his team’s match against FC Pune City.
Having suffered a ligament injury after scoring a stunning brace in their 3-2 win in the ISL opener in Chennai October 3, the Portuguese World Cupper went back to Spain. He, however, came back and joined the squad in Delhi on November 14.
Since then, the defending champions have played three matches but Postiga remained on the bench.
Habas, however, said the team was confident of bagging six points from their remaining league matches against Pune and Mumbai City FC.
“My objective is to win every game and I’m not thinking about the future. Three points are very important for me and if that happens goal difference will not matter much. We don’t want to concede goals but if we do, then we want to score more and win with a greater margin,” he said.
Habas praised the crowd support for the team and said: “We have so far received fantastic support...that is motivating us. My job is to motivate the team. The confidence is with the players. The team has to play 90 minutes.”
Meanwhile, ATK goalkeeper Amrinder Singh said it was a dream come true for him to play for Kolkata.
“I’m learning everyday. I’m happy with the team’s performance. I’m trying to give my best. I always had a dream to play for ATK, so it’s a dream come true for me. I’m now giving my best,” he said.
Comments
SHARE