Eelco Schattorie: I think someone is trying to curse us

The Dutchman bemoaned the injury crisis that has befallen his side.

Kerala Blasters played out a 0-0 stalemate against Odisha FC at home, as the Men in Yellow failed to break Odisha's resistance and were further curtailed with injuries to key players like Jairo Rodrigues and Bartholomew Ogbeche. Speaking on the injury crisis, head coach Eelco Schattorie said, "I think someone is trying to curse us."

"We started early morning yesterday with Ogbeche, who was hospitalized, as he complained of food poisoning. He got okay late yesterday night. Today, Jairo played his fourth straight game with an injection. He is having a meniscus problem, so we had to take him off today as well. Others like (Mario) Arques and (Gianni) Zuiverloon are also injured, but I hope they will make it back quickly."

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The Dutchman praised the efforts of his players to get a point out of the game, considering it akin to a win. He said, "Everyone is saying to us that we play long balls and we didn't play well. I think they should stop reporting because it is an extremely difficult situation. I'm very proud of my players' efforts. Even if it's one point, I see it as a win."

[embed]https://youtu.be/6h6FzJxzfo8[/embed] WATCH: Match Highlights: Kerala Blasters 0-0 Odisha FC

Speaking on individual performances, Eelco Schattorie said, "Prasanth played really well, so did KP (Rahul). They made a few mistakes, but played with a lot of fire. So did Sahal (Abdul Samad), he played well across all areas."

The coach further impressed his control over his players' game-time. Especially talking about giving Samad more starts, he said, "If I think he has to be on the bench, he will be there. If I want him to play, he will play. I have experience and I know about playing youngsters. I will stand with my players and give them the confidence they need."

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Schattorie expressed hope on the club coming out of the predicament that they are in saying, "I hope we come out of this difficult situation. I have to work with what I have now. We have a squad with good players. In the end, it's about trying to win and try to work together."

Kerala Blasters go into the international break with four points from their first four games. They will next play defending champions Bengaluru FC away from home on 23rd November. Meanwhile, Odisha will take on ATK the day after.