Mohammedan Sporting Club will hope that the loss against Hyderabad FC Reserves is water under the bridge when facing Chennaiyin FC Reserves in their Group B clash of the 2019/20 Hero 2nd Division League at the SSN College Ground in Mahabalipuram, Chennai, kick-off 3:30 PM.

The Black Panthers saw their winning streak cut short to three games when they were beaten 2-1 by Hyderabad last week.

Despite his disappointment with the result, Mohammedan SC technical director Dipendu Biswas is optimistic that his side will get their rhythm back that saw them winning their first three matches with ease.

“The scoreline was not a true reflection of the game. The difference was that our opponents took their chances and we didn’t,” he said.

It’s a match where Biswas will obviously be desperate to get a reaction from his men, but has admitted he faces a tough task to lift the battered morale of his players.

“It’s never feels good when you lose a match, but we still have a lot of work to do.” Biswas said. “Even in the dressing room we are being realistic because there are still many matches to play and many points to play for. We need to remind players that it’s not the end of the world.”

The Black Panthers illustrated a team on a mission as Biswas took his charges through their pre-match training session. The spirit in the team signaled much intent and purpose ahead of a tough battle that’s anticipated against Chennaiyin.

“We are facing another tough encounter,” admitted Biswas. “This time of the season is unpredictable. Everyone is looking to collect points and this match won’t be an exception. But we are prepared and ready to do the battle.”

On the team news front, Black Panthers will be missing right-back Shafiul Rahman who was shown a straight red card against Hyderabad and Sourav Das is likely to replace him in the starting lineup.

With the weather forecast suggesting that it will be around 36°C when the Black Panthers kickoff against Chennaiyin, Biswas insists that they’ve made plans to adapt in the blistering heat of the Tamil Nadu capital.

“If it’s very hot, we have to think about the game-plan. To start with, we have to manage hydration and nutrition before the game. We have been speaking a lot about that. We have been training at match time now for the last few days to get accustomed to the conditions,” explained Biswas.

The Black Panthers have beaten Chennaiyin 4-0 in the corresponding fixture at Kalyani Stadium last month.

(Mohammedan Sporting Club)