Off-side is a matter of concern for us: Medeira

Denied thrice by the off-side trap in their SAFF Championship match against Bhutan, Indian football coach Savio Medeira on Tuesday said it is an area the team will have to address.

On the three goals that were rendered off-sides, Medeira said: "I haven't checked whether all the three off-sides were genuine or not. But obviously it is a matter of concern for us."

Notwithstanding the missed chances and the disallowed goals, India hammered Bhutan 5-0 on Monday, and the coach felt they desperately needed the big win to bolster the team's confidence after the stalemate with Afghanistan in the opening fixture.

After being held to a 1-1 draw by Afghanistan, defending champions India fired on all cylinders yesterday to roll over Bhutan and brighten their prospect of reaching the semifinal.

"We needed the goals, and the confidence," Medeira said on the eve of the team's last league engagements, against Sri Lanka at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Wednesday.

If their training session was any indication, Medeira is set to retain the playing XI that thrashed Bhutan, though Steven Dias who was rested for the last tie, may just figure in his plans.

"There are no major injury worries. We will take a call on the team tomorrow," he said.

Asked about the preparation for tomorrow's match, he said, "We are going to prepare for this match like we did against Bhutan. It is also a very crucial match for us. Every opponent who is playing in the tournament can trouble any team. Every match is important for us."

Medeira said he is against making too many changes as this is not the right time to bring in fresh legs.

"This is no time for experiment. A tournament is not the place to try out new things," he said.

Talking about fatigue, he said, "Fatigue is a problem. But it is same for all the teams. Each team is playing a match every alternate day."