Jaded and short of creativity and answers, HASC looked a shadow of the side that put up impressive shows against big teams. With a small squad at their disposal, it was obvious that the Aircraftmen and their players were desperate for a break. Which is why the almost month-long hiatus -- taken due to India playing in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and the IFA Shield in Kolkata -- should see a refreshed outfit looking to get back to the form they showed in the middle part of the season.
Their task has been made a little harder though, with defensive stalwarts Joseph Femi and Rohit Chand missing out due to suspension. “It’s a blow because our defence has been our best bet all season,” Muralidharan, HASC manager, said.
Jai Kumar is expected to step in at centreback for Femi with Gautam Debnath switching to left back, giving James Singh his first start in a couple of months.
Xavier Vijaykumar, who suffered a hamstring tear in the match against Viva Kerala, has recovered and will start in his preferred right midfield position. The rest of the team will bear the same look with A Hamza and last match’s goal hero RC Prakash starting upfront with Meitei playing in the left of midfield and captain J Murali pulling the strings in the centre along with James.
Indian Arrows, who have performed above expectations, lie one place and one point below their opponents in tenth with 19 points.
Desmond Bulpin -- the Indian Arrows coach -- has admirably marshalled the young side into a cohesive unit that has been hard to beat, especially at home.
The players from the Arrows will be brimming with confidence after a few of their players performed remarkably well in the AFC Challenge Cup for India — none more so than Jeje Lalpekhlua, who scored four goals to spur his country to a top-of-the-table finish.
Apart from Jeje, who has scored eight goals in the League so far, the man to watch out for in the Delhi-based side will be Jewel Raja.
The box-to-box midfielder has a tremendous engine in him and is capable of scoring from outside the box, as witnessed in the match against Chines Taipei.
HASC need the three points to put their bad recent run to rest, while Indian Arrows will look to ride on the wave of confidence, leaving this match intriguingly poised.