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Kerala Blasters will go head-to-head with NorthEast United at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, January 29. 5th-placed Manjappada will be eyeing a victory to secure a spot in the playoffs, while the Highlanders, who are sitting at the bottom of the table, will be playing for pride for the remainder of the season.
Following an 8-game unbeaten run, Ivan Vukamanovic's side lost back-to-back games against Mumbai City FC and FC Goa. It's been the story of Kerala Blasters, who either went on a winning run or a losing run for a sequence of games in the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL).
The injury to Sandeep Singh came as a massive upset to the Kerala Blasters faithful, as the right-back was a domineering presence in their first-team set-up. It will be interesting to see how they patch things up without him on the right defensive flank.
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NorthEast United, who have faced eight consecutive defeats, have accumulated four points from seven games since the appointment of Vincenzo Alberto Annese more than six weeks ago.
Although the Italian is pushing his side beyond their limits, a lack of quality has come into play more often than not. Players have not been able to toe-to-toe with their opponents so far this season, with games against FC Goa and ATK Mohun Bagan being exceptions.
Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United: Team news
Kerala Blasters' Sandeep Singh will miss the remainder of the season with a fractured leg. However, experienced centre-back Marko Leskovic trained away from the first team as part of his recovery from an injury. Highlanders forward Wilmar Jordan will miss the game due to suspension.
Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United predicted lineup
Kerala Blasters: Prabhsukhan Gill; Harmanjot Khabra, Hormipam Ruivah, Victor Mongil, Jessel Carneiro; Rahul KP, Jeakson Singh, Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, Sahal Abdul Samad; Adrian Luna, Dimitrios Diamantakos.
NorthEast United: Mirshad Michu; Joe Zoherliana, Alex Saji, Aaron Evans, Hira Mondal; Romain Philippoteaux, Sehnaj Singh, Pragyan Gogoi; Kule Mbombo, Parthib Gogoi, Jithin MS.
Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United telecast details
The game between Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United will be telecast on Star Sports channels, while the live streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar.
Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United prediction
There's no better game for Kerala Blasters to regain their form and cement their place in the top six of the Indian Super League. NorthEast United, on the other hand, will be overpowered against a quality opposition like Kerala Blasters.
Prediction: Kerala Blasters 2-0 NorthEast United
