‘You will destroy the players’: How Chennaiyin FC boss Gregory defends resting Jeje and Co

With the Indian Super League season expanding from the a two-and-a-half month period last year to five months this season, the teams are getting more breathing space between matches. But even that seems to be not enough to recover for players and coaches are already looking at workload management.

Chennaiyin FC boss John Gregory rested four of his first choice players – Jeje Lalpekhua, Raphael Augusto, Bikramjit Singh, and Gregory Nelson – on Sunday in the game against Mumbai City FC and probably paid the price as the team took more time to settle down and could not find the penetration required, going down 0-1 in the bargain.

However, Gregory defended his decision saying many people will say many things since the team has lost but insisted that he needs to ensure that he has a full squad through out the season.

“We’ve had three games in a week and the players are incredibly tired. The amount of work they’ve put in prior to tonight, the likes of Jeje and Rafa have been playing with injuries. If they were to start tonight, there could have been a serious injury,” he told reporters after the match.

“I can’t play the same 11 with the schedule we have. You will actually destroy the players. I need to keep my players fresh and injury free through the season. If you had seen Jeje yesterday, you won’t have thought that he would even make the bench today,” he added.

Gregory only brought Jeje in after Mumbai City had scored a goal and though the Mizo striker, who scored two goals in their last game, remained mostly a peripheral figure in the 30 odd minutes he was on the pitch.

The Englishman also insisted that other clubs are also facing the heat. “I was speaking with Teddy (ATK coach) the other night and he said at times he has only 14 players training. He has seven or eight players who have serious injuries or can’t train. We don’t want that situation.”

Chennaiyin FC now has six days to recover as they face Bengaluru FC on Sunday and Gregory said his priority was to have a full squad to place against the former AFC Cup finallists.