Lalengmawia Apuia Ralte will be available for Mohun Bagan Super Giants’ Indian Super League (ISL) match in Chennai on January 21.
Apuia, 24, joined Mohun Bagan last summer after winning the ISL Cup with Mumbai City last season.
He has been a vital cog in the Mariners’ midfield so far, starting 14 of the 16 matches, as the club currently sits atop the league standings.
However, during a training session on Sunday, he left the pitch early, raising concerns about a potential injury. Sportstar understands that the player was examined in the evening and deemed match-fit.
“There is no concern around Apuia’s fitness, and he will travel with the team to Chennai,” a source close to the club told Sportstar.
Another midfielder, Sahal Abdul Samad, remains doubtful for the clash, with a decision on his inclusion expected on Monday. Sahal, who was out of Mohun Bagan’s squad in its previous match against Jamshedpur, sustained an injury but is recovering, said head coach Jose Molina.
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“He’s not training with the group today (Sunday). We are trying to recover him. We will see tomorrow if he can be ready for the match,” Molina added.
Meanwhile, Anirudh Thapa and Ashique Kuruniyan remain unavailable for the Chennaiyin game but are training individually to regain full fitness. They will, however, not travel with the squad for their next match.
Mohun Bagan was held to a 1-1 draw by Jamshedpur in the previous match, its first draw since November last year. It will aim to return to winning ways against Chennaiyin on Tuesday to continue its pursuit of consecutive ISL League Winners’ Shields.
The Marina Machans, on the other hand, have never beaten Mohun Bagan at home. To worsen the odds, they will be without their head coach Owen Coyle on the touchline.
Coyle received his second yellow card of the season during Chennaiyin’s previous match against Mohammedan Sporting and will only be able to watch the game from the stands.
“Of course, it’s better to have the coach, but I’m sure they will have assistant coaches and staff to guide the players. They will have a plan which the coach will pass on to the assistant,” Molina said.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com