Al Arabi coach Luka Bonacic spoke to the media ahead of their QNB Stars League Week 11 match against Al Khor.

“There’s more pressure on us now since we occupy the bottom place in the standings. we’re facing a big problem with the players’ fitness. Some of our players are unfit to play full time.

“If you take the last game against Al Gharafa for example, we even took the lead and then went down. We control the game for 60 to 65 minutes and then lose steam. So the problem is not only psychological, but more physical.

“The players must be ready to fight for 95 or 96 minutes. We’re still suffering from injuries to many players. Ace striker Mardik Mardikian, who missed our key match against Al Gharafa, will be out this time too with an injury.

“I wasn’t responsible for player selection, but I stay behind my players. I need time to fix some problems. I can’t change things suddenly. On the positive side, I’m seeing some improvements in the squad.

“Al Khor are tricky opponents. They had fought bravely against Al Sadd too, in the last game. Their attack has improved a lot. But I feel this a golden opportunity for us to win and move from the bottom,” said Bonacic.