East Bengal and India centre-back Anwar Ali will not be available for the Kolkata derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, set to be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on January 11.
Anwar picked up an injury in his left ankle in East Bengal’s previous match – against Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) – and was subbed off in the 90th minute.
Sportstar understands that the knock was an impact injury and the player is recovering well. However, he was barely seen at practice sessions in the build-up to the high-profile clash and is expected to be back only before the trip to Goa for the next game on January 19.
Though the club has refused to confirm or deny his travel plans to Guwahati, it is highly likely that he will not travel with the team.
Anwar, who moved to East Bengal after a controversial transfer episode, in August, has since started in every ISL game for the Red-and-Gold Brigade.
“Anwar is a rock. Hopefully, he will be okay in two days. It’s not a twist and doesn’t look anything bad. Let’s see what decisions he sends out to us,” Oscar Bruzon, East Bengal’s head coach, had said after the Mumbai game.
But he now will have to scratch his head to find a potential replacement for the Indian centre-back in his first Kolkata derby in charge.
East Bengal is already without midfielders Saul Crespo, who is recovering from a pulled hamstring, and Madih Talal, who is out for the season with an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury.
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The Red-and-Gold Brigade is third from the bottom in the points table, with 14 points from as many games, while Mohun Bagan tops the standings, with 32 points from 14 matches.
Having started his reign on a positive note (one loss in seven matches), Bruzon’s real test might be now, with a depleted squad at his disposal and a formidable rival that smells blood.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com