Bengaluru look to bounce back

Bengaluru FC will look to bounce back from the disappointment of two home loses on the run when they take on Kerala Blasters in their Indian Super League encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Sunday.

As it stands, every game has become crucial so both teams would be hoping to get a right result but there is a little bit of pride at stake here.

Bengaluru's assistant coach Naushad Moosa, who attended the pre-match press conference in place of their head coach Albert Roca, said that his side's recent losses have been due to the competition getting tougher. "If you see what happened is that we started quite early. We started in July. We had the AFC Cup and other commitments which were good for us," he said.

"The other teams have now started to gel and that's making it difficult. Also, we have been playing a lot of games away from home. The competition has become tougher."

Moosa also said the game against Blasters are going to be a very tough one for his side. "They are playing good and the crowds will also play a role."

For Bengaluru, a win will take them to the second spot in the league standings with 15 points. On the other hand, Meulensteen's side will be searching for only their second win of the season.

Last season's runners-up, Blasters have found it hard to get going this time around.

With just one win and four draws from their six games, they have only picked up seven points and are placed eighth. Injuries to key players have also not helped Kerala's cause. The availability of star striker Dimitar Berbatov for Sundays is still in question.

Commenting on Berbatov's fitness, head coach Rene Meulensteen said: "He has got a good day's training behind him. But we'll still have to assess him. So let us see."

The game will also see Bengaluru come up against CK Vineeth, Rino Anto, Sandesh Jhingan, Siam Hanghal and Karan Sawhney, all of whom have worn the BFC blue in the past.