ISL 2022-23: Injury-ridden Jamshedpur FC look for desperate turnaround against East Bengal FC
Jamshedpur FC will host East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Sunday as both sides look to recover from shocking defeats.
FollowAt the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Sunday, Jamshedpur FC will play host to East Bengal FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 as both teams try to bounce back from stunning losses. As they continued to play in the bottom half of the standings, impact substitutions in their respective last games significantly influenced the outcome of the games.
Ishan Pandita's equaliser against Chennaiyin FC in the 76th minute gave Jamshedpur FC hope that they had earned a point, but they were down the next minute. As a result of yet another tactical change that failed to produce for head coach Aidy Boothroyd, the Red Miners lost the game 3-1.
In the 16th minute of that match, Wellington Priori used a stretcher to leave the field due to a groyne injury. The club's injury list continues to increase and now includes the names of Germanpreet Singh and three more players in addition to the midfielder. To play East Bengal FC, Daniel Chukwu will, however, be back in the lineup.
"It would be wonderful to be able to look at our squad and think that okay, that's the way we are going to play. But we have had so many injuries that I have had to be flexible and pick a team that suits the players," said Boothroyd. "It's not about trying to find a magic way of playing. It's about getting everybody fit so that we are strong and we can not only start games well but also finish them well," he concluded.
In their match against Odisha FC, East Bengal FC got off to a fast start, leading 2-0 at the interval. However, a quick-fire brace from replacement Pedro Martin tied the score just three minutes into the second half before another substitution, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, completely changed the course of the match. The Torch Bearers ultimately fell short 4-2.
After Charis Kyriakou left the field on a stretcher early in the second half of their match against the Juggernauts, East Bengal FC is now worried about their own midfield situation. Even if the Cypriot is still up for the game versus the Red Miners, the final decision won't be made until game day.
"They are the Shield holders, so they have my respect. They have a good coach in Aidy Boothroyd, who has been in the game for a long time and knows what he's doing, and they've got quality players," said head coach Stephen Constantine. "We respect all the teams that we play. We are not coming here to lose the game. We are going to try and win. Hopefully, we can go back to Kolkata with three points," he added.
A win for the Torch Bears could see them move five points clear of Jamshedpur FC, and just a point behind Chennaiyin FC, who are seventh on the table. Jamshedpur FC has a game in hand and will leapfrog East Bengal into eighth place with a win.
