Mumbai City FC gear up for ISL 2 in Dubai

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Mumbai City FC have commenced their preparations for the second edition of the lucrative football tournament with a pre-season camp here.

The squad arrived here on August 25 and have been going through a rigorous training regime since then.

They will play against local outfit Baniyas FC on Friday and have further friendly matches lined up against other UAE clubs on September 6 and 9.

The team will also travel to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi as part of their pre-season tour.

Striker Sunil Chhetri and experienced goalkeeper Subrata Paul will join the squad along with a few other players a day after playing their World Cup qualifier match in Bangalore against Iran on September 9.

The team will return to India on September 12.

"This is an excellent start to our ISL Season 2 preparations. The facilities are great here in Dubai and the team seems to be getting along and gelling well with each other in just the first week of the pre-season," Mumbai City marquee player-cum-manager Nicolas Anelka was quoted as saying in a statement.

"It's the first time that some of the international boys are meeting the entire team and the entire experience has been great for everyone. Our target is for the entire team to be in the best possible shape by the time we reach Mumbai and we all are working very hard towards it," the former French World Cup winner added.

The second edition of the ISL will kick-off on October 3. Mumbai City will open their campaign with an away match against FC Pune City on October 5.