Antonio Habas: David Williams is training with the team

The ATK head coach also revealed that Pronay Halder will be returning to training after 10 days.

Heavyweights ATK are all set to host NorthEast United in their next league match at the Salt Lake stadium on Monday. The Kolkata outfit are coming to this game on the back of a win over FC Goa at home and another victory over NorthEast United will allow them to reclaim the top spot in the standings. Ahead of the game, ATK head coach Antonio Habas interacted in the pre-match press conference.

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Antonio Habas started the proceedings with expressing his views on what he feels about the Highlanders and how teams in ISL are all neck to neck in terms of quality. "I think they are very difficult opponent. There is a very small difference among all ISL teams. Before looking at the finals we have to play five matches more. We have to concentrate and maximum attitude and discipline for the next match," he said.

Speaking about injuries and when they players will he available to take the field, Antonio Habas added, "(David) Williams is training with the team and is in the group dynamics and maybe he has the possibility to play in the next game or not that i have to evaluate. Pronay is also injured and maybe in the next 10 days he can get back to training."

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"The target for the club is to win everyday. The first target is to get a spot in the playoffs. Winning has been the the first objective for the team," the Spaniard continued expressing his opinions on ATK's target this season. 

The 62-year-old was also asked to share his opinions on ATK's recent merger with Mohun Bagan. "Being a professional coach I am a head of ATK and now whatever decision the owners take i have to respect that. I have great respect for Mohun Bagan and their history and traditions," he opined.

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Antonio Habas highlighted the the areas of strength for NorthEast United. "It can be a tricky match for us. Northeast have signed two foreign players and they have played two matches less and it will be a tough challenge for us on Monday. we have to be alert. They have good players like Milan (Singh), (Jose) Leudo, (Andrew) Keogh, etc. We have utmost respect for them as we know they are a very good team," he said.

The tactician shared his opinion on how the league has grown in all forms and have become more competitive than previous seasons. 

"In my opinion the league more competitive now than the first year, as now there is very less points difference and every team has a player who can score goals. The teams have more quality and balance this season," Antonio Habas concluded.

Team News

Pronay Halder is still recovering from the injury and will be unavailable for the game. While David Williams may start from the bench as he just returned to training after nursing an injury. 

Probable Lineup

Arindam (GK); Pritam, Agus, Rathi; Prabir, Mandi,Javi, Mongil, Soosairaj; Krishna, Jobby. 

Head To Head

The two sides have met each other in eleven matches over the years. ATK have six wins in the proceedings compared to NorthEast United's three victories. The other two ended in stalemates.

Broadcast

The match will be telecast live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD while you may also opt for Hotstar and Jio TV to watch the live stream of the game.