Tokyo: Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan will take no part in Shanghai SIPG’s debut in the AFC Champions League Round of 16 against FC Tokyo in the first leg on Tuesday while captain Sun Xiang could also miss out according to coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
Top scorer at the 2014 edition with former club Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates, Gyan has had a stop-start fourth continental campaign with game time in just three of Shanghai’s six group stage fixtures.
And an appearance from the bench in Shanghai’s penultimate tie against Australia’s Melbourne Victory will not be followed up by any action at Tokyo Stadium after both he and defender Sun were substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Beijing Guoan in their domestic championship on Saturday.
“Injury-wise, all the players are with the unfortunate exception of Asamoah,” said Eriksson. “Our captain Sun Xiang is here with us but I don’t know if he will play tomorrow as he only played the first half on Saturday. We’ll have to see after training today and maybe tomorrow. I don’t think it was too serious an injury, which is good.
“I hope the rest of the team have recovered well from the game against Beijing and are ready for the fight tomorrow. FC Tokyo are very organised, and they are a very hard working team.
“If you get to the knockout stages, you don’t expect to face a bad team. So, it’s going to be difficult but it will be difficult for them as well.”
Coach Hiroshi Jofuku ensured his FC Tokyo side continued their 100% record of qualification for the knockout stages, after they reached the last 16 in their maiden campaign in 2012, by guiding the capital city club to a runners-up finish in Group G behind Korea Republic’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Four years ago, a Chinese Super League side, Guangzhou Evergrande, were the opponents in the Round of 16 when a Cleo goal was enough to eliminate FC Tokyo in the one-off tie and having also met Jiangsu FC in this year’s group stages, Jofuku is well aware of the test awaiting his team on Tuesday.
“Jiangsu is a wonderful side but Shanghai has additional strength in the quality of their Chinese players. They are fast and attack-minded while also well organised in defence, and so we are expecting a tough match tomorrow,” said Jofuku, who will be without suspended defender Yuichi Murayama.
“However, this is our home game and we’d like to make sure to get the win here before heading to our second leg away in Shanghai. We will look to create scoring chances while shutting down their attack and we are focused on getting the win tomorrow with the help of our supporters.
“We are struggling in the J. League, but we want to make a new club history in the ACL, starting with this first leg, and give ourselves a boost of confidence for our campaign in the J. League as well.”
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário