KOCHI: It is not controversial refereeing decisions, injuries, or fixture congestion that is concerning Kerala Blasters coach Ivan Vukomanovic as his team is enjoying a stellar campaign in the Indian Super League.
The big concern for him is over the outbreak of Covid-19 inside the bio-bubble which could affect the league itself. So far, one match has been cancelled after an ATK Mohun Bagan player tested positive last week prior to their match against Odisha FC.
Blasters are on an impressive nine-match unbeaten run which sees them sit pretty in the top half of the top of the table. A win against Odisha, who have won just one match in five outings, can help them reclaim top spot.
But the Serbian coach expressed concerns over the continuation of the league after cases were reported inside the bio-bubble.
"They started testing us every twelve hours because we were in contact with opponents (Hyderabad) who played ATK (on January 5). It is a chain process. Hopefully, the ISL will have it under control and continue the league till the end. If not, it will be a shame," said Vukomanovic.
The Blasters head coach felt that there was always a fear of the virus spreading, with camps having to quarantine and taking frequent tests.
"What we are most concerned about now is the Covid situation because what we've seen so far and my opinion is that, the moment when it will burst out in different camps, it could be a challenge. The fact that now we see in some teams, there are more cases putting them in hard quarantine. Take the example of our last opponent Hyderabad, who played last week against ATK, who had to be in quarantine. More and more teams will be involved (quarantine and cases) but hopefully there will be no more cases with the things going on. But we will have to deal with it," he added.
On the injuries front, Blasters lost their captain Jessel Carneiro after the left-back got injured in their last match against Hyderabad FC and will be a big miss. However, Vukomanovic is bullish that they have able replacements and he has a point as Blasters boast of the versatile Nishu Kumar and FIFA U-17 World Cup star Sanjeev Stalin to call upon as replacements.
"When you enter into those games, after every fight there will be casualties and we have to deal with that. We have enough players in our squad," he said.
The return of Nishu couldn't be at a better time as Jessel could be out for the rest of the season.
"Jessel is the captain and he played really well. Sometimes, it is not easy as we are midway through the season but other players like Sanjeev or me, we need to give our best in training so that the team can rely on us and it is now our time to show our quality," said Nishu Kumar.
Enjoying the best form in the history of the club, Blasters would hope Covid doesn't play spoilsport as they gear up to extend their unbeaten run to ten at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Odisha FC head coach Kiko Ramirez said that the safety of those inside the bio-bubble was paramount but admitted that his team was fully focused on delivering on the pitch.
"The important thing in this situation is that we respect the rules. Let’s see how it affects the rest of the season. But we need to try to be safe. Everyone knows the first thing is the safety of the players and everyone involved in the league," said Ramirez after the postponement of their match against Bagan and how it was going to affect things going forward.