East Bengal and India centre-back Anwar Ali will not be available for the Kolkata derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, which will be played on January 11 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.
Anwar injured 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 the result of an injury and the player is recovering quickly. However, he has hardly been seen in training sessions in the build-up to the high-profile clash and is only expected to return before leaving for Goa for the next match scheduled for January 19.
While the club has not confirmed or denied his plans to travel to Guwahati, it is highly likely that he will not travel with the team.
Anwar, who moved to East Bengal in August after a controversial transfer episode, has since featured in every ISL match for the Red and Gold Brigade.
“Anwar is a rock. Let’s hope everything will be fine in two days. It’s not a scam and it doesn’t look bad. We will see what decisions he sends us,” said Oscar Bruzon, head coach of the East Bengal team, after the match in Mumbai.
But now he will have to scratch his head to find a potential replacement for the Indian centre-back in his first Kolkata derby.
East Bengal are without midfielders Saul Crespo, who is recovering from a hamstring strain, and Madih Talal, who is sidelined for the season with an ACL injury.
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The Red and Gold Brigade are third from bottom in the points table with 14 points from as many games, while Mohun Bagan leads the table with 32 points from 14 games.
Having started his reign on a positive note (one defeat in seven games), Bruzon’s real test could now come when he faces a depleted squad and a formidable opponent that reeks of blood.
