SHILLONG: Shillong Lajong FC will host Air India in the 18th round of the I-League season at the JN Stadium, Polo, on January 28 at 2:00pm.
The Reds are currently in ninth position with 15 points and in a close fight with the visitors, who are just one place behind with 14 points.
Lajong will also have an eye on the two other fixtures on Monday, when Pailan Arrows – in eighth place – take on United Sikkim and Sporting Clube de Goa face Salgaocar, both of whom are also on 14 points.
The Airmen hosted SLFC on December 16 last year and were held to a 1-1 draw.
Monday’s match will be the first for interim coach Thangboi Singto, who took the reins after Shillong Lajong sacked Desmond Bulpin last week.
Like Bulpin had done before, Thangboi cautioned that injuries to his small squad could pose a problem.
“I have been coaching and been with the team for a very long time now. The boys are great but my only concern is that there are many players who are injured right now and are not 100 percent fit.
“So we will field whatever players we have right now who are also very capable and I believe in them and also hope that some of our crucial players return from injury soon.”
Coach Thangboi further said, “There is no drastic change in the strategy because there is no time to work on anything extra right now.
“We are doing the best we can and working not just individually but collectively. We respect all the teams who are in the I-League and we will continue to give 100 percent commitment.
“We have to keep working hard and we will take one match at a time. We hope to grab the three points tomorrow and make our fans happy with some new changes that has been brought in the team,” he concluded.
Interestingly, in the five meetings between the two sides, neither has ever come out on top, with each match ending in a draw.