Still not sure of my return in ISL 3: Helder Postiga

The Portuguese marquee leaves the decision of his return on the Molina’s hands.

Atletico De Kolkata’s Portuguese marquee Helder Postiga accompanied by right-back Pritam Kotal attended the press today and Postiga clearly revealed that he is yet to recover from the rib injury which he sustained in the Kerala Blasters match and is unsure of about his return. “I feel much better now. I have started training with teammates. There is still some pain in my ribs. You must give time to recover. I hope to be fit to play after one week,” said Postiga to reporters in Kolkata. The Portuguese striker further added that his coach Molina will take a call on him after seeing him practice with the team. “This injury is not so serious like last year. The coach will decide when I will play. I have started training with my teammates for the last couple of days. It is better to wait till you are 100 percent fit.” The Portuguese striker who missed the entire ISL 2 after sustaining a hamstring injury in the opening itself against Chennaiyin FC where he netted a brace, considered this injury different from the hamstring injury last year. He termed the hamstring injury as the worst injury of his career. Insisting that this injury was less serious, Postiga said, “This injury has no comparison to last season’s. It was hard last year and the worst injury of my career. Injuries happen in football, second time for me in India. It’s bad luck. There's a little pain in my rib now but it’s normal in football. I am feeling much better now,” he said when asked about the status of his rib injury. The Portuguese further congratulated Bengaluru FC for becoming the first Indian club to make the AFC Cup Final with their 3-1 victory against defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim on Wednesday. “I saw the first 30 minutes of the match. It’s a great news for Indian football. Something that shows that the sport is improving in India. Bengaluru FC looked very compact and the better of the two teams. If I am not wrong the Malaysian side were the champions from last season of the AFC Cup.” Pritam Kotal marked the Delhi Dynamos match as an important tie for both the sides as both are coming off consecutive draws and are hungry for a win. “It will be a good game I feel. A fast and speedy match”, Kotal said About ATK’s performance as a whole, Kotal felt, “We just need a win to get back to rhythm which I hope will come soon. It’s just a matter of time. We are still unbeaten which is a good part and we are getting points from every match. We have to keep in mind that we should hold on to the lead if we score once and should not concede.” About BFC’s historic performance in the AFC Cup, Kotal said, “They have been terrific against Johor. Sunil (Chhetri) was great, He was the difference between the two sides. Bengaluru have shown that an Indian side can also play the finale of AFC Cup.” Picture © ISL Media