Kerala Blasters host Mumbai in need of a win

Both sides lie at opposite ends of the table.

Kerala Blasters meet Mumbai City FC in their third successive game at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday . Both sides come into the match at the opposite ends of the table. Blasters are second from bottom after just one point from three games and no goals scored. On the hand Mumbai have enjoyed a fine start to the campaign and are second with seven points from the same number of outings. Team News Blasters skipper Cedric Hengbart limped off in the tame 0-0 draw against Delhi Dynamos in their last game and the Frenchman will face a late fitness test before this one. In some better news, marquee centre-back Aaron Hughes has returned from international duty with Northern Ireland and could start. For Mumbai, marquee skipper Diego Forlan did not feature in their last game to the surprise of many and the Uruguayan has not made the trip to Kochi. Pronay Halder will miss the game through suspension after being sent off for two yellow cards in the previous match. Amrinder Singh and Sunil Chhetri are still with Bengaluru FC, while Gaston Sangoy remains absent. Haiti international Sony Norde came off the bench against ATK and could start on Friday. Head to Head This game has produced a lot of draws, three to be precise. Mumbai have won the only other encounter between the two teams. Man to Watch Aaron Hughes-Kerala Blasters: The centre-back was one of the mainstays of Northern Ireland’s fine run at Euro 2016 and after missing the last few games due to international duty he is expected to start tomorrow. Defending hasn’t been a problem for Kerala though. Their woes lie at the other end of the puitch. However, manager Steve Coppell will be hoping his main man’s leadership skills can inspire the team to their first win of the season. Leo Costa-Mumbai City FC: The Brazilian has been one of the unsung heroes of Mumbai’s impressive start to the season. With Forlan still not in contention to return he will once again be a key figure in the middle of the park for the men from the metropolis. Probable Line-ups Kerala Blasters: Sandip Nandy(GK), Pratik Chaudhari, Cedric Hughes(C), Sandesh Jhingan, Mehtab Hossain, Azrack Mahamat, Josu Currais, Mohammed Rafique, Michael Chopra, Antonio German, Duckens Nazon. Mumbai City FC: Roberto Volpato Netto(GK/C), Aiborlang Khongjee, Gerson Vieira, Lucian Goian, Lalhmangaihsanga Ralte, Krisztián Vadócz, Léo Costa, Boithang Haokip,Sony Norde, Sehnaj Singh, Matías Defederico. Broadcast: The match will be teleacast live on Star Sports 2, HD2, Star Sports 1 , HD1, Star Gold, Star Gold HD, Jalsha Movies, Jalsha Movies HD and Hotstar. You can also follow Live text commentary of the game on Khelnow.com. [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]