Expecting a 'tough challenge' from Mumbai City, says Ivan Vukomanovic

The 44-year-old also issued updates on Rahul KP and Albino Gomes' injuries.

On Sunday, Kerala Blasters will take on table-toppers Mumbai City in Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22. The Islanders have won all but one of their six matches so far and have registered 15 points. They also have a good four-point lead at the top of the standings. Ivan Vukomanovic and Co. on the other hand, have won only one of their five matches to-date. One positive about them is the fact that they are on a four-game unbeaten run.

Ahead of the clash, Vukomanovic spoke to journalists in the pre-match press conference held on Saturday. Here are the excerpts from the interaction:

Challenge posed by Mumbai City

Ivan Vukomanovic began by admitting that the Islanders will pose a tough challenge, but also added that he prefers challenges like this. He also congratulated the opposition for their impressive performances so far.

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"First of all, congratulations to them (Mumbai City) because they are the defending champions and also the current table-toppers for this season. They have shown that they are among the best teams in the league. On the other hand, every match is tough for us. Regarding tomorrow's game against MCFC, we're once again expecting a tough challenge," he said.

The Serbian-Belgian further added, "Tomorrow, we'll see two teams who want to play good football. Both teams will also give a tough fight because they would want to win the game. I actually like challenges like this. I wish that games like this happen every week - because as a player, it is these kinds of games that will help them improve."

The development of KBFC's youngsters

With Enes Sipovic ruled out of Sunday's clash with a muscle injury, an Indian defender is expected to pair up with Marko Leskovic at the heart of Kerala Blasters' defence.

The options they have include Bijoy Varghese and Ruivah Hormipam, two youngsters who have shown potential in pre-season. When asked about their development, Vukomanovic said, "There is no doubt about their potential and we are very happy to have them in our team. We will be giving them chances and that is how they will improve further. This is how Jeakson (Singh) also improved, after starting his (KBFC) career two years ago."

Injury Updates

Earlier this week, the Yellow Army officially confirmed that Sipovic has been ruled out for at least two weeks and that Harmanjot Khabra has trained since recovering from his minor ankle knock. The two other KBFC players who are currently out of action are Rahul KP and Albino Gomes.

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"Both Rahul and Albino have moved out of the bio-bubble. They have started their recovery processes. Rahul could be back in the first half of January. But, Albino will be out for longer and we are still awaiting some scan results in his case. These are the latest injury updates," the club's head coach revealed.

Recruitment plans for January transfer window

"This is more of a question for the management," Ivan Vukomanovic opined when asked about potential winter signings.

"We have begun discussions with the management, but we have not considered any particular player seriously so far. We will see how our games this December will pan out, before identifying new signings," he further added.

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