BFC face basement dwellers HFC

Bengaluru: Returning to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on the back of two fruitless fixtures on the road, Bengaluru FC take on Hyderabad FC on Saturday with their sights set on three points.

The Blues have slipped to 10th on the table, and with other middle-placed sides finding their mojo, they will need to treat every match as a must-win tie to realise their quest for a playoffs spot.

The Blues will be without coach Gerard Zaragoza, who is suspended after accumulating two yellow cards. Midfielder Suresh Singh Wangjam will sit the tie out too. Renedy Singh and Sebastian Vega will fill in for Zaragoza on the touchline. 

A winless Hyderabad FC also will miss key players Joao Victor and Alex Saji due to suspensions. 

Speaking during the pre-match press conference on Friday, Renedy Singh stressed that their upcoming opponents couldn't be taken lightly. 

"If you see their (Hyderabad's) last game, they made it very difficult for East Bengal. Those young players will run for 90 minutes and they have nothing to lose. It is going to be difficult but if we concentrate on our game, I feel we should do well, and we have to win this match."

Another contributor to the dismal displays has been BFC's poor conversion rate in front of goal. Renedy feels that the key is to create more chances.

"We have to create more to convert. The new players are gelling well together and you can see that our build-up from the back and from the middle is better. If we (players and the coach) believe in the system, the results will come.

"We want to stay compact, create and open up more chances with more bodies up front. It is a process that we have to continue to guarantee goals and wins."

Renedy confirmed that apart from Wangjam, he has a full squad to choose from. Aleksandar Jovanovic, who suffered a nasty collision against Mumbai City, will have to wait for medical clearances to compete.  

January signings Chinglensana Singh and Nikhil Poojary will face their former side, and Renedy hopes that the duo can help tilt the tie the hosts' way.

"Sana and Poojary have done well, but fitting into the system is not easy and have adapted really well. I hope they give their best against Hyderabad."

BFC skipper Sunil Chhetri is set to make his 150th appearance in the Indian Super League.