Brandon Fernandes in FC Goa practice session.
FC Goa suffered a setback in the playoff race after their draw against Bengaluru FC 1-1. Gaurs enjoyed most of the ball possession but lacked the finishing in front of the goal, causing them to drop points.
In the post-match press conference, FC Goa, head coach Derrick Pereira, talked about the long-awaited return of Brandon Fernandes. The star midfielder was sidelined because of a quadriceps injury in November 2021.
When asked about Brandon’s first start and when it could happen, Derrick Pereira said, "Once we feel that he is 100%, he’ll start. I’m happy that he got some minutes in today’s (23 January) match - we wanted to see how comfortable he would be. I think he did well. Hopefully, he’ll get a start soon after completing two or three more full training sessions with the team."
The 27-year-old's return provides the Gaurs with another creative threat as the all-time highest assist provider among Indian players in the Indian Super League (ISL). He is also the third-highest assist provider overall in ISL history with 18 assists.